Angle of reflection is defined as the angle between the normal and what?

Angle of reflection is defined as the angle between the normal and what?

• A. The incident ray
• B. The surface
• C. The normal
• D. A reflected ray of light

Answer: (D)

Understanding how light reflects starts with the normal, a line perpendicular to the surface at the point where the ray hits. The angle of reflection is the angle formed between that normal and the reflected ray—the path the light takes after it bounces off. So you measure the angle from the normal to the reflected ray. This is why the reflected ray, not the incident ray or the surface, defines this angle. In the same setup, the angle of incidence is measured from the normal to the incoming ray, and in a mirror they are equal.

Understanding how light reflects starts with the normal, a line perpendicular to the surface at the point where the ray hits. The angle of reflection is the angle formed between that normal and the reflected ray—the path the light takes after it bounces off. So you measure the angle from the normal to the reflected ray. This is why the reflected ray, not the incident ray or the surface, defines this angle. In the same setup, the angle of incidence is measured from the normal to the incoming ray, and in a mirror they are equal.