In the school course of mathematics and physics, there are often problems that begin with the words "a ray of light falls on a flat mirror." Some students may find them difficult at first glance. However, if you understand them, then you can “click” tasks such as nuts. To do this, it is worth delving into the theory of reflection angles and the laws associated with this phenomenon. This article is devoted to this topic.
The concept of different angles
The angle of incidence is the one under which a ray of light falls on a mirror surface. Under the mirror surface is meant not only a mirror, but also, for example, the expanse of water or glass. The angle of reflection, in turn, is the angle relative to the surface under which the light beam is reflected.
Laws of reflection
The main rule to remember before you start solving the corresponding problems is the law that says that the angleincidence is equal to the angle of reflection. Thus, when searching for the angle between the line of incidence and the line of reflection, it will be necessary to subtract the angle of incidence twice from 180 degrees. In addition, if a perpendicular is drawn from the point of incidence on the plane, then the angles between it and the lines of incidence and reflection will be equal to each other. Having de alt with the basic laws, you can move on to solving problems.
Examples of problems
Assume that we are given the following condition: a ray of light falls on a flat mirror. In this case, the angle of incidence is unknown. However, it is known that the angle between the rays is 60 degrees. Determine the value.
To solve this problem, we will use the law described above in this article. A straight angle is known to be 180 degrees. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. Thus, we must subtract 60 from 180 and divide the resulting difference by 2. The answer to this problem will be the value (180 - 60): 2=60 degrees. Therefore, the angle at which the beam hit the mirror is 60 degrees.
Let's try to solve this problem with a slightly modified condition for a better understanding of the topic. Let the angle of 30 degrees be the angle between the rays. Then the solution of the problem has the following form: (180 - 30): 2=75 degrees. This value will be the answer.
Conclusion
Let's hope that this article answered all your questions and helped in the analysis of an incomprehensible, at first glance, topic. It remains for us to wish you good luck in your further study of the wonderful world of physics. After all, it is thanks to this knowledge that people will be able tolearn and understand how our planet actually works, and realize all the processes that obey the laws of physics that take place here.
