25.2 The Law of Reflection

25.2 The Law of Reflection

• We see a reflection when we look into a mirror or squint at the sun.
• Light is reflected from this page when you look at it.
• Large telescopes look at stars and other objects.

• Figure 25.5 shows how a rough surface reflects light.
• It is reflected in many different directions when the light strikes different parts of the surface.
• A sheet of paper can be seen from any angle and can be seen from all sides, thanks to the diffused light.

• At the point where the ray strikes the surface, the angles are measured.

• Light reflects from a rough surface.
• The surface is rough and many parallel rays are reflected at different angles.

• When a sheet of paper is illuminated with many parallel incident rays, it can be seen at many different angles because of its rough surface.

• The mirror's surface is very smooth and it reflects only one direction.
• The reflected light will only be seen by the observer at a certain angle.

• The lake's surface is shiny but not evenly distributed, which makes the moon spread out.

• The law of reflection says that the angle of reflection is the same as the angle of incidence.

• Our image is behind the mirror when we see ourselves in it.
• The law of reflection tells us where the light comes from.
• Our image is the same distance away from the mirror as it is behind it.
• If the mirror is on the wall of a room, the images in it are all behind the mirror, which makes the room seem bigger.
• The mirror images don't make objects look like they are behind a wall, they are real.
• Mirrors can be photographed and videotaped by instruments and look just like our eyes.
• The way in which images are formed will be treated later in the chapter.