Reflection Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

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What is reflection of a wave?

Reflection is when a wave bounces off a surface or boundary and stays in the same medium.

What do we call the ray that hits a surface and the ray that leaves?

The ray that hits is the incident ray; the ray that leaves is the reflected ray.

What is the normal in a ray diagram?

An imaginary line at 90 degrees to the surface where the ray hits.

What is the angle of incidence?

The angle between the incident ray and the normal.

From what line do we measure angles in reflection?

From the normal, not from the surface.

What does the law of reflection state?

The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

What is specular reflection?

Reflection from a smooth surface where parallel rays reflect in one direction, giving a clear image.

What is diffuse reflection?

Reflection from a rough surface where rays scatter in many directions, so no clear image.

Why does a rough surface cause diffuse reflection?

Tiny bumps make the normal point different ways, so rays reflect at different angles.

When light reflects from a mirror, what happens to its speed, frequency, and wavelength?

They stay the same. Only the direction changes.

How do you draw a reflected ray on a ray diagram?

Draw the normal at 90 degrees at the hit point. Measure the angle of incidence. Mark the same angle on the other side of the normal. Draw the reflected ray.

Which tool do you use to measure angles of incidence and reflection?

A protractor, measuring in degrees from the normal.

Revision Notes
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