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Light Reflection Investigation

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Light Reflection Investigation

A wildlife rescue team needs to send a torch beam around a corner without shining it directly at a sleeping kiwi. Use the law of reflection to plan and explain how light behaves. For angle questions, measure angles from the normal—a line at 90° to the mirror. No equipment is needed; use the evidence and written descriptions on this page.

Read the evidence

During a demonstration, a narrow beam from a torch hit a flat mirror. The angles were measured from the normal. The mirror was turned between trials.

Trial

Angle of incidence

Angle of reflection

20°

35°

36°

50°

49°

1.Which statement best describes reflection from a flat mirror?

Light is absorbed and disappears.
Light bounces off the surface.
Light bends as it enters the mirror.
Light passes through the mirror unchanged.

2.Complete the rule: the angle of equals the angle of . Both are measured from the .

3.Use the results table. What pattern do the three trials show? Include one piece of numerical evidence and explain why Trials 2 and 3 are close but not exactly equal.

4.In Trial 2 the incoming ray makes a 35° angle with the normal. What angle should the reflected ray make with the normal?

Trace the beam

A ray strikes a plane mirror. The normal is a line at 90° to the mirror surface. Angles are measured between each ray and the normal.

5.A ray strikes a plane mirror at 40° to the normal. Describe where the reflected ray travels in relation to the normal, and state its angle to the normal.

6.True or false? An angle measured from the mirror surface is the one used in the law of reflection. Correct the statement if it is false.

TrueFalse

Make a fair investigation

A class wants to test whether changing the incoming angle changes the reflected angle. They will use a torch, a plane mirror, paper and a protractor.

7.Which factor should the class deliberately change between trials?

The angle of incidence
The type of mirror and the torch at the same time
The room lighting only
The person recording results

8.Name two things the class should keep the same to make the investigation fair.

9.A group gets reflection angles of 29°, 31° and 30° when the incidence angle is 30°. What should they do with these results before drawing a conclusion, and why?

10.The mirror is replaced by a rough piece of paper. Predict what happens to the reflected light and explain why the paper may still be visible.

11.For the rescue mission, a flat mirror must turn the beam around a corner. Describe where to place and aim the mirror, using the law of reflection in your explanation. Include one safety consideration when using a torch.