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Reflection - The Law of Reflection

This document provides instructions for a lab experiment on the law of reflection. Students will use a mirror, ray box, protractor, and ruler to observe how light reflects off a mirror at different angles. They will measure the angle of incidence and angle of reflection, record their observations, and analyze the data to identify the rule that describes how light reflects off mirrors. Their hypothesis should predict that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Through this experiment, students will learn that light follows the law of reflection, where the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

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IKIARA K MERICHO
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258 views4 pages

Reflection - The Law of Reflection

This document provides instructions for a lab experiment on the law of reflection. Students will use a mirror, ray box, protractor, and ruler to observe how light reflects off a mirror at different angles. They will measure the angle of incidence and angle of reflection, record their observations, and analyze the data to identify the rule that describes how light reflects off mirrors. Their hypothesis should predict that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Through this experiment, students will learn that light follows the law of reflection, where the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

Uploaded by

IKIARA K MERICHO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name: ______________________ Class: __________ Date: ______________

Reflection Lab: The Law of reflection


Learner Outcomes:
- Measure and predict angles of reflection

Key Terms:
Reflection Plane mirrors
Regular reflection Normal
Diffuse reflection Angle of incidence
Incident rays Angle of reflection
Reflection rays Law of reflection

Background Information: Light travels in straight lines. When it strikes an


object, it behaves in different ways depending upon the type of material the
object is made of. The rays of light can be transmitted, refracted, reflected or
absorbed. In this investigation, we are going to investigate what happens light is
reflected.

Research Question: What rule can you make to describe how light reflects off a
mirror?

Hypothesis:
______________________________________________________________
 your hypothesis should answer the problem above and explain why

Experimental Design:
Manipulated Variable –
Responding Variable –
Controlled Variables -

Materials:
Plane mirror Ray box with single slit White paper
Modeling clay Protractor Ruler

This investigation / activity has been adapted from:


Mah K, Martha J, McClelland L, et al. Science in Action 9. Toronto, ON: Addison Wesley.
Procedure:
1. Using a ruler, draw a horizontal line on a blank piece of paper. Use a
protractor to create a perpendicular line the forms a “T”. This is the
normal.
2. Using modeling clay, place your mirror upright so that it sits on the
horizontal line you have drawn. The normal will be perpendicular to the
mirror.
3. Shine the light beam at the mirror so that it is parallel to the normal.
Record your observations.
4. Move the light beam so that it hits the mirror at the normal but so that the
beam is positioned at an angle.
5. Using your ruler, draw the incident ray and the reflected ray on your paper.
Use arrows to show the direction of the light rays.
6. Use your protractor to determine the angle of incidence and the angle of
reflection. (Note* These angles are all measured from the normal).
7. Repeat steps 1- 6 three more times using 4 different angles for the incident
ray but always entering the glass at the point of incidence. Use a different
colored pencil to draw in the rays for the other angles.

Observations:

Title:_________________________________________________________

Ray Color Angle of Incidence Angle of Reflection

0 (along the normal)

This investigation / activity has been adapted from:


Mah K, Martha J, McClelland L, et al. Science in Action 9. Toronto, ON: Addison Wesley.
Analysis:

1. What happened when the light ray entered the mirror along the normal?

2. What happened when the angle of incidence was increased?

3. How does the angle of incidence compare with the angle of reflection?

Conclusions: What generalization can you make about the law of reflection?

This investigation / activity has been adapted from:


Mah K, Martha J, McClelland L, et al. Science in Action 9. Toronto, ON: Addison Wesley.
Extension:

1. Give an example of a device that might require knowledge of the law of


reflection and explain how this knowledge is useful.
2. Investigate, describe and explain one other optical illusion caused by
reflection.

This investigation / activity has been adapted from:


Mah K, Martha J, McClelland L, et al. Science in Action 9. Toronto, ON: Addison Wesley.

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