6.

1 Reflection of light
Transmission of light through different materials

• The transmission of light

from the torch through
opaque materials lets no
light through.
• Translucent materials let
small amounts of light
through, and transparent
materials allows all light to
pass through.
How light travels to your eye
• Luminous objects
• Non-luminous objects

Ray diagrams are used to show the path

that light takes. The rays of light are
represented using straight lines, with
an arrowhead to show the direction the
light is travelling.
Reflection of light
• When light hits a mirror,
it reflects from the surface of the
mirror.
• The angle at which the light is
reflected depends on the angle it
hits the mirror, and a ray diagram
can be used to show the path of the
light rays.
• The diagram shows the path of a
light ray being reflected from a plane
mirror.
The law of reflection
The law of reflection states that these angles are the same:
Angle of incidence (i) = Angle of reflection (r)
Ray Diagrams
1. Angles are measured between the wave direction (ray) and a line at 90
degrees to the boundary
– The angle of the wave approaching the boundary is called the angle of incidence (i)
– The angle of the wave leaving the boundary is called the angle of reflection (r)
2. The line at right angles (90°) to the boundary is known as the normal
3. When drawing a ray diagram an arrow is used to show the direction the
wave is travelling
– An incident ray has an arrow pointing towards the boundary
– A reflected ray has an arrow pointing away from the boundary
4. The angles of incidence and reflection are usually
labeled i and r respectively
Ray Diagram
Thank you