Reflection and Mirrors Legacy Problem #1 Guided Solution
Problem*
A light ray approaches a mirror at an angle of incidence of 25°. What is the angle of reflection?
Audio Guided Solution
Perhaps one of the most fundamental laws governing the reflection of light off of a surface is known as the Law of Reflection. The Law of Reflection states that when light reflects off a surface, the angle at which it reflects is equal to the angle at which it approaches the surface. We generally call these two angles, the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection. So if the angle of incidence is 25 degrees, you know for certain that the angle of reflection is also 25 degrees.
Solution
25°
Habbits of an Effective Problem Solver
- Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
- Identify the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., \(\descriptive{d_o}{d_o,distance object} = 24.2\unit{cm}\); \(\descriptive{d_i}{d_i,distance image} = 16.8\unit{cm}\); \(\descriptive{f}{f,focal length} = \colorbox{gray}{Unknown}\).
- Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
- Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use. Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.
Read About It!
Get more information on the topic of Reflection and Mirrors at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.