MIRRORS AND REFLECTION OF LIGHT

 MIRRORS AND REFLECTION OF LIGHT

 

MIRRORS AND REFLECTION OF LIGHT Everyday Science The bouncing of light by any smooth surface, like a mirror, is called reflection of light. A mirror changes the direction of light that falls on it. The light ray that falls on a mirror is called the incident light ray. The ray that comes back from the surface after reflection is called the reflected light ray. The point where the incident ray strikes the reflecting surface is called the point of incidence. A line drawn perpendicular to the mirror at the point of incidence is the normal. According to the laws of reflection, the incident ray, the normal at the point of incidence, and the reflected ray lie in the same plane; and the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. Let us perform an experiment to show that a mirror changes the direction of light that falls on it. . • Perform the experiment at night or in a dark room. • Ask one of your friends to hold a mirror in his hand at one corner of the room. • Stand at another corner with a torch in your hand. • Switch on the torch. Adjust the torch which is a source of light so that you can get a beam of light. • Direct the beam of the torch light onto the mirror that your friend is holding. • Do you see a patch of light on the other side? • Now, adjust the direction of the torch so that the patch of light falls on another friend standing in the room. Conclusion: This experiment suggests that a mirror changes the direction of light that falls on it. The path of light is always straight and never curved. Light doesn’t bend.