Which term describes the ray that reflects off of a mirror?

Which term describes the ray that reflects off of a mirror?

• A. Incident ray
• B. Plane mirror
• C. Astigmatism
• D. Reflected ray

Answer: (D)

When light meets a mirror, there are two rays to think about: the one that comes in and the one that leaves after reflection. The ray that bounces off the surface is the reflected ray. The incoming ray is called the incident ray, so it’s the path before reflection, not after. A plane mirror is simply a flat mirror, not a description of a ray. Astigmatism is an optical defect related to how lenses or eyes focus light, not to the terminology for rays at a mirror. The reflected ray specifically names the outgoing path after the surface interaction, which is why it’s the correct term.

When light meets a mirror, there are two rays to think about: the one that comes in and the one that leaves after reflection. The ray that bounces off the surface is the reflected ray. The incoming ray is called the incident ray, so it’s the path before reflection, not after. A plane mirror is simply a flat mirror, not a description of a ray. Astigmatism is an optical defect related to how lenses or eyes focus light, not to the terminology for rays at a mirror. The reflected ray specifically names the outgoing path after the surface interaction, which is why it’s the correct term.