Light Reflection: Understanding How Light Behaves
What happens when light hits different surfaces?
a) Light bounces evenly off rough substances
b) Light bounces off evenly off smooth substances such as mirrors
c) Light bounces off mirrors in all directions
d) Light does not bounce off mirrors
Answer:
When it comes to reflecting light, smooth surfaces like mirrors reflect it evenly owing to the law of reflection. Rough substances, however, reflect light unevenly due to light hitting different parts at different angles, and diffusing.
Light behaves in interesting ways when it interacts with different surfaces. When light hits a smooth surface such as a mirror, it reflects off evenly following the law of reflection. This law states that the angle at which light hits the surface will be equal to the angle at which it is reflected.
In contrast, rough substances like paper or walls do not reflect light as evenly. This is because light hits different parts of the surface at different angles, causing it to bounce off in various directions. This is why we can see these objects from different angles, unlike mirrors which reflect light in a more uniform manner.