Which statement describes the law of reflection?

Which statement describes the law of reflection?

• A. The incident ray and the reflected ray form a straight line with the surface.
• B. The angle of reflection is always greater than the angle of incidence.
• C. The incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal lie in the same plane, and the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence.
• D. Light is absorbed by the surface.

Answer: (C)

The law of reflection describes how light bounces off a smooth surface. The incident ray, the reflected ray, and the line perpendicular to the surface at the point of contact (the normal) all lie in the same plane. The angle between the incident ray and the normal is equal to the angle between the reflected ray and the normal. This symmetry about the normal is why mirrors produce predictable reflections. The idea that the incident and reflected rays would form a straight line with the surface would ignore how the normal sets the angles and would misstate how reflection works. The angle of reflection is not greater than the angle of incidence; they are equal. And reflection is about bouncing light, not about absorption by the surface.

The law of reflection describes how light bounces off a smooth surface. The incident ray, the reflected ray, and the line perpendicular to the surface at the point of contact (the normal) all lie in the same plane. The angle between the incident ray and the normal is equal to the angle between the reflected ray and the normal. This symmetry about the normal is why mirrors produce predictable reflections. The idea that the incident and reflected rays would form a straight line with the surface would ignore how the normal sets the angles and would misstate how reflection works. The angle of reflection is not greater than the angle of incidence; they are equal. And reflection is about bouncing light, not about absorption by the surface.