REFLECTION

B Y : A N J A L I , B R A D L E Y, C L A R I S S A , M I C H E L L E ,
M Y I S H A , R YA N
DEFINITIONS :
•REFLECTION: The change in direction of a light ray or sound wave after it hits a surface and 
bounces off.

•PLANE MIRROR: A mirror with a flat reflective surface.

•IMAGE: The point from which rays of light entering the eye appear to have originated. (The
image we see in a mirror is laterally inverted.)

•LATERALLY INVERTED: The type of reversal that occurs with an image formed by a plane
mirror

•RAY DIAGRAM: Shows how light travels, including what happens when it reaches the surface. 
(We draw each ray as a straight line, with an arrowhead pointing in the direction that the light
travels. 
TYPES OF
REFLECTION:
• SPECULAR REFLECTION
Specular reflection is a beam of
light reflected “perfectly” (in
parallel to each other) from a
shiny, polished surface.
Ex: mirrors, stainless steel,
glass, etc.
• DIFFUSE REFLECTION
Diffuse reflection is a beam of
light reflected “irregularly” (in
different directions) from an
irregular surface.
Ex: Table top, sheet of paper,
etc.
LAW OF
REFLECTION

 The hatched vertical line on the right represents the mirror

 The dashed line is called the normal, drawn at 90° to the surface of the
mirror
 The angle of incidence, i, is the angle between the normal and incident
ray
 The angle of reflection, r, is the angle between the normal and reflected
ray
 The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence equals the angle
FORMULAS
• Formula for reflection across the x-axis :

If point P has coordinates (x, y), then point R = RX(P), its

reflected image across the X-axis, will be defined by R =
(x, -y)

• Formula for Reflection across any Horizontal line { y =

k}

• If point P has coordinates (x, y), then point R = RH(P), its

reflected image across the horizontal line H = { y = k },
PERISCOPE
• Periscope is very useful. It enables you to look over the
top of a wall, or over other people if you are at the back
of a crowd.
• Periscope uses plane mirror because light strikes the
mirror to reach viewer’s eye.
KALEIDOSCOPE
• Kaleidoscopes uses plane mirror because only
reflecting surface is needed
• Two mirrors at an angle will produce lots and lots of
images. You can use this to make a kaleidoscope.
Thank you
for your
attention!