Let’s think about how light behaves when it hits a mirror.
When a ray of light hits a mirror, it bounces off — that’s called reflection. The rule is: the angle at which the light hits the mirror (called the “angle of incidence”) is equal to the angle at which it bounces off (called the “angle of reflection”). Both angles are measured from an imaginary line perpendicular to the mirror surface — we call that the “normal.”
In the diagram you’re working on:
- There’s a flashlight (light source) shining a ray down toward a flat mirror lying horizontally.
- You need to draw the reflected ray after it hits the mirror.
Step-by-step:
1. Imagine drawing a dotted line straight up from the point where the light ray hits the mirror — this is the “normal” (perpendicular to the mirror).
2. Look at the incoming ray — it’s coming in at some angle to the normal. Let’s say it’s 30 degrees from the normal (you don’t need to measure exactly — just match the angle visually).
3. The reflected ray must go out at the same angle on the other side of the normal. So if the incoming ray is 30 degrees to the left of the normal, the reflected ray should be 30 degrees to the right of the normal.
4. Draw the reflected ray starting from the point where the light hits the mirror, going upward and away from the mirror, making sure it looks like it’s mirroring the incoming path.
Important: The reflected ray should NOT go back along the same path unless the light hit the mirror head-on (which it didn’t). It should bounce off symmetrically.
Final Answer:
Draw a ray starting from the point where the incoming light hits the mirror, going upward and to the right, such that the angle between the incoming ray and the mirror equals the angle between the outgoing (reflected) ray and the mirror — or equivalently, the angle with the normal is the same on both sides.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of reflection of light worksheet.
