Reflection of light (including specular and diffuse)
I can recognise, draw and describe how light and other waves can reflect from different surfaces, using rays and wavefronts.
Reflection of light (including specular and diffuse)
I can recognise, draw and describe how light and other waves can reflect from different surfaces, using rays and wavefronts.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Specular reflection is reflection from a smooth surface in a single direction.
- Diffuse reflection is reflection from a rough surface in multiple directions.
- The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. Angles are measured from the normal.
- Light can be thought of as a wave (ripples) in electric and magnetic fields.
- Like all waves, light can be represented using rays or wavefronts.
Keywords
Specular reflection - Specular reflection is reflection from smooth surfaces in one direction.
Diffuse reflection - Diffuse reflection is reflection from rough surfaces in multiple directions.
Ray - A ray is a straight line drawn to represent the direction that a light wave travels.
Normal - The normal is an imaginary line drawn at 90° to a surface.
Wavefront - Wavefronts are lines drawn to represent peaks of a wave.
Common misconception
Pupils often think that light rays are actual physical things that are the constituents of light.
It needs to be made explicit through teaching that light rays are imaginary lines that show the direction in which light is travelling.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
Loading...
Starter quiz
6 Questions
this is the angle between one side of a square and the next side
if you turn by this angle, you face in the opposite direction
if you turn by this angle, you face in the same direction as before
Exit quiz
6 Questions
an imaginary line drawn at 90° to a surface
a straight line drawn to show the direction a wave travels
a line drawn to represent where the peak of a wave is
