Law of reflection

Watch the next 5 slides for Part IV

Reflecting Light Off Surfaces

When a series of parallel incident rays strike a flatreflective surface • the incidence angles are all identical• angle of reflection will also be identical reflected raysIncident rays

2

If parallel incident rays were directed at an irregular

surface, they will have different incidence angles.

The reflected rays will be reflected in many directions.

This is known as diffuse reflection

Incident rays Reflected rays

3

Locating images in a Plane Mirror

object

mirror

Image of object

reflected

incident

4

brain traces

Virtual sideReal side

• LOST is used to describe images formed by mirrors.1. L- Location: location of the image (in front or

behind the mirror).2. O- Orientation: which way the image is oriented

compared to the original object (upright or inverted).

3. S- Size: compared to original object is it same size, reduced, or magnified?

4. T- Type: is the image a real image or virtual image?

L.O.S.T.

5

• Properties of a plane mirror image:

1. Object distance from mirror= image distance from mirror

2. Orientation is ALWAYS upright3. Object size = Image Size4. ALWAYS forms a virtual image5. Image is reversed left to right (this is true for

all reflections)

PLANE MIRRORS

6

Acknowledgements

• edited by Mr. Teters from original by Dr. Ochran from http://raochran.com/SNC2D/Physics/Powerpoint%20Files/Laws%20of%20Reflection.ppt