reflection of waves

• Wave


  A disturbance that transfers energy through a medium without the transfer of matter
• Waves at a boundary

  • Can be transmitted
  • Can be absorbed
  • Can be reflected
• What happens when a wave hits a boundary

  1. Transmitted through the material

  2. Energy absorbed by the material

  3. Reflected off the surface of the material
• Waves can change direction when passing from one material to another
• Incident ray


  The ray of light striking the surface of a mirror
• Normal


  A line drawn at right angles to the surface of a mirror
• Angle of incidence


  The angle between the incident ray and the normal
• Angle of reflection


  The angle between the reflected ray and the normal
• The angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence
• Constructing a ray diagram for reflection

  1. Draw incident ray

  2. Draw normal

  3. Measure angle of incidence

  4. Draw reflected ray with angle of reflection equal to angle of incidence
• Constructing a ray diagram to find the image position

  1. Draw incident ray from object to mirror

  2. Draw normal

  3. Draw reflected ray

  4. Extend reflected rays back into mirror to find image position