On the other hand, specular reflections remain unnoticed for an absorber if the reflected light misses his or her eyes. (That can be a problem in the context of laser safety.) Specular reflections can appear much brighter than diffuse reflections, when seen from a large distance, because the reflected light is concentrated to a smaller range of directions. There can be also a combination of specular and diffuse reflection an object with such properties exhibits specular highlights (depending on the illumination conditions) in addition to the appearance generated by diffuse scattering. That can be considered as the opposite of specular reflection: perfectly diffusing reflection. Particularly volume diffusers, but also some matte paints, tend to produce even a much wider angular distribution of scattered light, often even approaching the standard case of a Lambertian scatterer. With a substantially rough surface, causing significant scattering, there can be a substantial angular range, for example with a width of 10°. If the reflecting surface is nearly flat, but not completely flat, the output light may be spread over some range of angles that is called diffuse scattering. Other Kinds of Reflection, Involving Scattering of Light The common law of reflection (output angle = angle of incidence) is related to the fact that the component of the wave vector along the reflecting surface is preserved. What is angle of incidence and angle of reflection Reflection involves a change in direction of the light ray. That situation is usually found with high accuracy on various types of flat mirrors.įor curved reflecting surfaces, one also obtains a specular reflection the angles of incidence and output are then measured against the local normal direction. The angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence, therefore, when a ray strikes the mirror at 90 degrees, the ray reflects back in the opposite direction on the same path, that is at 90 degrees. Here, the angle of the reflected light, as measured against the surface normal, equals that angle for the incident light (see Figure 1). of polished metal or glass pieces, including cases with total internal reflection, or on surfaces of liquids. That kind of reflection is encountered on smooth surfaces, e.g. The classical type of light reflection is that of specular reflection, from the Latin word speculum ( mirror), or alternatively regular reflection. Specular reflection at a flat surface, where the output angle equals the angle of incidence. We can compare the angle of reflection to the previously discussed angle of. How to cite the article suggest additional literature Reflected light rays (red arrows) from opposite angles may converge at a. Encyclopedia > letter S > specular reflection Specular Reflectionĭefinition: reflection of light where the angle of reflected light equals the angle of incident light, but on the opposite side of the surface normal
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