Question

Explain the terms below with help of a diagram.

(a) Incident ray

(b) Reflected ray

(c) Normal

(d) Angle of incidence

(e) Angle of reflection

Answer 1

Reflection of light:

1. When light falls on an object some part of it is absorbed while some part of it bounces back.
2. The bouncing back of light when it falls on the objects is called the reflection of light as depicted in the diagram.
3. The straight-line path along which light travels is called a ray of light.

The explanation for part 1:

Incident ray:

1. The ray of light that falls on an object is called the incident ray.
2. In the diagram the ray depicted in orange color is the incident ray.
3. The incident ray is the incident at the point known as the point of incidence.

The explanation for part 2:

Reflected ray:

1. The ray of light that bounces back from the surface of the object is called a reflected ray.
2. In the diagram the ray depicted in green color is the reflected ray.

The explanation for part 3:

Normal:

1. The perpendicular drawn to the surface at the point of incidence is called the normal.
2. In the diagram, the dotted line represents the normal.

The explanation for part 4:

The angle of incidence:

1. The angle that is formed between the incident ray and the normal is termed the angle of incidence.
2. The angle of incidence is represented by i.

The explanation for part 5:

The angle of reflection:

1. The angle that is formed between the normal and the reflected ray is termed the angle of reflection.
2. The angle of incidence is represented by i.