Which statement about the angle of reflection is true?

Which statement about the angle of reflection is true?

• A. The angle of incidence is always greater than the angle of reflection.
• B. The angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence.
• C. The incident ray is always perpendicular to the surface.
• D. The reflected ray travels in a direction opposite to the incident ray.

Answer: (B)

When light reflects off a smooth surface, the angle it makes with the line perpendicular to the surface (the normal) is the same on both sides of the surface. The incoming ray, the outgoing ray, and the normal all lie in the same plane, and the two rays are symmetric with respect to the normal. This is the law of reflection. So the statement that the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence matches exactly how reflection works: the two angles are equal because the path is mirrored about the normal. The other ideas don’t fit because the angle of incidence and angle of reflection are not described as one being greater than the other, they are equal. The incident ray isn’t required to be perpendicular to the surface (that would be a special, uncommon case). And the reflected ray isn’t simply opposite in direction to the incident ray; both rays travel away from the point of contact on the same side of the surface, mirrored about the normal.

When light reflects off a smooth surface, the angle it makes with the line perpendicular to the surface (the normal) is the same on both sides of the surface. The incoming ray, the outgoing ray, and the normal all lie in the same plane, and the two rays are symmetric with respect to the normal. This is the law of reflection.

So the statement that the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence matches exactly how reflection works: the two angles are equal because the path is mirrored about the normal.

The other ideas don’t fit because the angle of incidence and angle of reflection are not described as one being greater than the other, they are equal. The incident ray isn’t required to be perpendicular to the surface (that would be a special, uncommon case). And the reflected ray isn’t simply opposite in direction to the incident ray; both rays travel away from the point of contact on the same side of the surface, mirrored about the normal.