Science Department

Physics (Grade 12)

Vision Statement
The Vision of Mansoura College American School is to nurture lifelong learners and global thinkers to become responsible citizens with leadership qualities
and universal values while instilling pride in one's cultural identity.
Mission Statement
The Mission of Mansoura College American School is to provide students with a challenging educational environment within an international community
focusing on a global curriculum, integrated with technology, and a plethora of extracurricular activities to meet students’ individual needs.
Physics 12 Grade

Session [ 8 ]

Flat mirror
 February 11, 2025

Objectives

1- Distinguish between specular and diffuse reflection of light

2- Apply the law of reflection for flat mirrors

3- Describe the nature of images formed by flat mirrors

 February 11, 2025

Reflection of light
The change in direction of an electromagnetic wave at a
surface that causes it to move away from the surface

 A good mirror can reflect about

90 % of the incident light

 No surface is a perfect reflector.

 February 11, 2025

Types of reflective surfaces

Rough Smooth
Textured surfaces Shiny surfaces
Paper, cloth, or unpolished wood Examples Mirrors, or water in a lake

light
In many different directions In one direction
Reflects
Reflection
Diffuse reflection type Specular reflection
 February 11, 2025

Angle of incidence
Is the angle between a ray that strikes a surface and the
line perpendicular to that surface at the point of contact
 February 11, 2025

Angle of reflection
the angle formed by the line perpendicular to a surface and the
direction in which a reflected ray moves
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Reflection
The line perpendicular to the reflecting surface is referred to as
the normal to the surface
 February 11, 2025

Reflection
Angle of incoming light ray = Angle of reflected light ray
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Flat mirrors

 The simplest mirror is the flat mirror

 If an object is placed at a distance in front of a
flat mirror and light is bounced off the object
and reflect from the mirror’s surface
 February 11, 2025

Flat mirrors
 Properties of image are :
• The object distance from the mirror “p” equals the image distance “q”
• The image of the object is the same size as the object.
• Virtual image “an image that forms at a point from which light rays appear to come
but do not actually come which can never be displayed on a physical surface”
• The image is reversed in front of the mirror
 February 11, 2025

Ray diagrams
The minimum umber of light
rays that needed to predict
the point’s image located
behind a flat mirror is “two”

We trace this both reflected

rays back to the point from
which they appear to come
form behind the mirror this
is the location of point’s
image.
 February 11, 2025

Practice
The Choose the best correct answer
1- What type of light reflection occurs when light is reflected from a rough, textured surface?
a) Diverse b) variegated
c) Specular d) diffuse
2-In how many directions is light reflected from a smooth surface?
a)one b)two
c)multiple d)infinite
3- The normal to the surface is drawn …………………to the surface.
a)Parallel b)tangential
c)Perpendicular d)none of the above
4- What is used in order to predict the location of an image?
a)simple geometry b)the law of reflection
c)ray diagrams d)all of the above
 February 11, 2025

Practice
5-For a flat mirror, object distance (p) is always …………………image distance (q).
a)less than b)equal to
c)greater than d)half the
6- Which of the following best describes the image produced by a flat mirror?
a)virtual, inverted, and magnification greater than one
b)real, inverted, and magnification less than one
c)virtual; upright, and magnification equal to one
d)real, upright, and magnification equal to one
7-When the reflection of an object is seen in a flat mirror, the distance from the mirror to the
image depends on
a)the wavelength of light used for viewing.
b)the distance from the object to the mirror.
c)the distance of both the observer and the object to the mirror.
d)the size of the object.
 February 11, 2025

Practice
8- Snow reflects almost all of the light incident upon it. However, a single beam of light is not
reflected in the form of parallel rays. This is an example of ………… reflection off a …………surface.
a)regular, rough c)diffuse, specular
b)regular, specular d) diffuse, rough
9-If a light ray strikes a flat mirror at an angle of 29º from the normal, the reflected ray will be
a)29º from the normal. c)29º from the mirror’s surface.
b)27º from the normal. d)61º from the normal.
10- When a straight line is drawn perpendicular to a flat mirror at the point where an incoming
ray strikes the mirror’s surface, the angles of incidence and reflection are measured from the
normal and
a) the angles of incidence and reflection are equal.
b) the angle of incidence is greater than the angle of reflection.
c) the angle of incidence is less than the angle of reflection.
d) the angle of incidence can be greater than or less than the angle of reflection.