Reflection of waves: Waves

What a wave can do at the boundary between different materials

The wave can be reflected, refracted, transmitted or absorbed

Reflection

When a wave meets meets the boundary between two different materials and bounces off

Echo

The name given to a reflected sound wave

Law of reflection

The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection (measured from the normal line)

Incident ray

The incoming ray that hits the smooth surface

Angle of incidence

The angle between the incident ray and the normal line

Reflected ray

The ray after it has been reflected from the smooth surface

Angle of reflection

The angle between the reflected ray and the normal line

Normal line

An imaginary line at right angles to the boundary between two different materials where all angles are measured from

Specular reflection

When light is reflected from a smooth surface in a single direction e.g. from a plane mirror

Plane mirror

A flat mirror that allows an image to be seen

Image formed in a plane mirror

The image formed is upright and virtual

Virtual image

An image that forms at a position where light rays appear to come from but do not actually come from e.g. the image in a plane mirror

Diffuse reflection

When light is reflected from a rough surface and scatters in many directions

Image formed from a diffuse reflection

A image formed is distorted image if it forms at all