Law of reflection
Definition
The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence (the incoming angle) is equal to the angle of reflection (the outgoing angle) when light reflects off a surface.
Analogy
Think about bouncing a ball off a wall. When you throw the ball towards the wall at an angle, it bounces back at an equal but opposite angle. The law of reflection works similarly for light bouncing off surfaces.
Related terms
Incident Ray: This refers to the path along which light approaches and strikes a surface.
Reflected Ray: It represents the path along which light bounces off after striking a surface.
Normal Line: The normal line is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface where incident and reflected rays meet.
"Law of reflection" appears in:
Study guides (2)
Additional resources (1)
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.