Bending of Light

How does light bounce and bend?

By Mike Cummings

​Looking at yourself in the mirror creates an image of yourself. An image is a visual representation of the light source bouncing off of a shiny surface.

Multiple Choice

A visual representation of a light source

bouncing off of an object is known as;

• A photograph

• A reflection

• An image

• A picture

​Light reflecting off of a mirror is similar to sound echoing off of a hard wall. The image you see in a mirror is clear because most of the light wave reflects the same way off the mirror's smooth surface.

​A reflection is just the organized scattering of a wave of light forming an image that we see.

Multiple Choice

The organized scattering of light waves

that provides us with a clear image is called;

• A refraction

• An image

• A picture

• A reflection

​Light hitting a smooth, reflective surface like a mirror obeys what is called the "Law of Reflection"

​The "Law of Reflection" states that the angle of an incoming light ray equals the angle of the reflected light ray!

Multiple Choice

The angle of an incoming light ray equals

the angle of the reflected light ray is known as;

• The law of refraction

• The law of reflection

• The law of

  reaction

• The law of

  intersections

Multiple Choice

If an angle of a light ray going into a smooth surface

like a mirror is at a 50⁰ angle, then the reflected ray angle will be a;

• 45⁰ angle

• 90⁰ angle

• 50⁰ angle

• 180⁰ angle

​Curved mirrors can form many kinds of images. They can be upright or upside down, they can be enlarged or made smaller.

Multiple Choice

Curved mirrors can change the direction

and size of objects that are reflected

by them;

• True

• False

​When light passes through a medium it is slowed down/changes speed and it appears to make objects bend.

​When light changes mediums, it also changes its speed. When waves change speed it is known as refraction. Refraction is the bending of waves of light as they pass from one substance into another.

Multiple Choice

The slowing down and bending of light as it passes

from one medium into another is known as;

• Reflection

• Refraction

• Echoes

• Imaging

​Lenses use refraction to shape images that we see. Lenses used in eyeglasses help make objects appear in focus.

​Telescopes, microscopes and cameras also use lenses to make images appear closer and clearer. The focusing of images is important for us to see objects clearly. The image above was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, and is about 200,000 light years from Earth!​

Multiple Choice

The main purpose of wearing

glasses is to get images;

• Refracted onto

  your eyes

• Reflected onto

  your eyes

• Focused onto

  your eyes

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT something

that lenses do?

• Focusing light

• Reflecting light

• Changing the

  size of an objects

• Making objects

  appear closer