In the school course of mathematics and physics, problems often begin that begin with the words "a ray of light hits a flat mirror." To some students, they may seem difficult at first. 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 various angles
The angle of incidence is the one at which a ray of light hits a mirror surface. By a mirror surface is meant not only a mirror, but also, for example, a surface of water or glass. The angle of reflection, in turn, is the angle relative to the surface at which a ray of light is reflected.
Laws of reflection
The main rule that you should remember before you begin to solve the corresponding problems is the law, which states that the angle of incidence 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 understood the basic laws, we can proceed to solving problems.
Examples of tasks
Suppose we are given such a condition: a ray of light hits 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. Define the meaning.
To solve this problem, we will use the law described above in this article. The widened angle, as you know, is 180 degrees. And 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 fell on 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 is the angle between the rays. Then the solution to the problem has the following form: (180 - 30): 2 = 75 degrees. The answer will be precisely this value.
Conclusion
Let's hope that this article answered all your questions and helped in the analysis of an incomprehensible, at first glance, topic. We can only wish you good luck in further studying the wonderful world of physics. Indeed, it is thanks to this knowledge that people will be able to learn and understand how our planet is actually arranged, and to realize all the processes that obey the laws of physics that occur here.