required practical reflection and refraction

• Investigating reflection and refraction of light

  1. Use ray box, lens, and slit to produce a narrow ray of light

  2. Place glass block on paper and draw around it

  3. Direct ray of light at normal to block

  4. Observe reflected and transmitted rays

  5. Mark paths of incident, reflected, and transmitted rays

  6. Measure angles of incidence, reflection, and refraction
• Angle of incidence


  Angle between incident ray and normal
• Angle of reflection


  Angle between reflected ray and normal
• Angle of refraction


  Angle between transmitted ray and normal
• Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection


  Regardless of material
• Angle of refraction


  Depends on the material
• Materials used


  • Glass
  • Perspex (plastic)
• Ray boxes get hot, so should be switched off when not in use
• Laser can be more dangerous than ray box
• Lights in the room should be turned off when doing the experiment
• Experiment should be done on a piece of A3 paper with a straight line and normal drawn