Optics Challenge #2 — Law of Reflection

The angle
of reflection.

Optics Easy

Problem

A light ray strikes a plane mirror at an angle of 35° measured from the mirror’s surface. Find the angle of reflection, measured from the normal.

Angle to surface\( 35^{\circ} \)
Measured fromthe mirror surface
Wanted fromthe normal
Answer indegrees

Read the given angle carefully — it is not measured from the normal.

Hint: reflection angles are always measured from the normal — the line perpendicular to the mirror. Convert the surface angle first, then apply the law of reflection.

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The angleof reflection.

Problem