Chapter 4: Problem 69

How can laws of reflection be experimentally verified?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: The two laws of reflection that need to be verified are: 1) the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, and 2) the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal to the reflecting surface all lie in the same plane.

Step by step solution

Materials Needed:

To perform the experiment, gather the following materials: - Flat, smooth surface for reflecting light (like a plane mirror) - Cardboard or similar material to be used as a mounting board - Light source (e.g., flashlight, laser pointer) - Protractor - Ruler - Pencil or marker - Tape or glue

Set up the experiment

First, attach the mirror to the cardboard mounting board using tape or glue, ensuring that the reflecting surface is clean and free of debris. Place it on a flat surface, such as a table or countertop.

Prepare your measuring tools

Using a ruler, draw a straight line from the bottom of the mirror, perpendicular to the mirror's surface. This line will represent the normal to the surface. Next, place the protractor on the mounting board with its center point on the normal line and adjust it so that the 0-degree line aligns with the mirror edge. Label this line as the "normal."

Set up the light source

Position the light source at a specific angle relative to the normal line on the cardboard or mounting board, making sure to keep a consistent distance between the light source and the mirror. You can use a ruler to measure this distance. Mark the spot where the light source is placed with a pencil or marker. This spot will serve as a reference for measuring the angle of incidence.

Shine the light on the mirror

Turn on the light source and direct its beam at the mirror, making sure it hits the mirror at the desired angle. Observe the reflected light ray and trace it on the mounting board with a pencil or marker.

Measure the angles of incidence and reflection

Use the protractor to measure the angle between the incident ray (from the light source to the point where it intersects the normal) and the normal line. This is the angle of incidence (θ_i). Next, measure the angle between the reflected ray (from the point where it intersects the normal to the traced line on the mounting board) and the normal line. This is the angle of reflection (θ_r).

Verify the laws of reflection

If the angle of incidence (θ_i) is equal to the angle of reflection (θ_r), then the first law of reflection is verified. To verify the second law of reflection, observe that the incident ray, reflected ray, and normal line all lie in the same plane (2D). If they all lie in the same plane, then the second law of reflection is also verified.

Additional Notes

To further confirm the laws of reflection, you can repeat the experiment with different angles of incidence and observe that the angles of incidence and reflection remain equal, and the rays continue to lie in the same plane.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

How can laws of reflection be experimentally verified?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Materials Needed:

Set up the experiment

Prepare your measuring tools

Set up the light source

Shine the light on the mirror

Measure the angles of incidence and reflection

Verify the laws of reflection

Additional Notes

One App. One Place for Learning.

Most popular questions from this chapter

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Rotational Dynamics

Wave Optics

Fundamentals of Physics

Electric Charge Field and Potential

Scientific Method Physics

Engineering Physics

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.