Understanding Reflection
Reflection is the phenomenon that allows us to see our reflection in a mirror. When light hits a smooth surface, such as a mirror, it bounces back. This bouncing back of light is called reflection.
How Reflection Works
- Incident Light: When light rays from an object, like your face, travel toward the mirror, they are called incident light rays.
- Surface Interaction: Upon reaching the smooth surface of the mirror, these rays do not pass through. Instead, they strike the surface and reflect back.
- Law of Reflection: The angle at which the light hits the mirror (angle of incidence) is equal to the angle at which it reflects away (angle of reflection).
Why We See Our Reflection
- Light Path: The reflected light rays travel back to our eyes. When these rays reach our eyes, our brain interprets them as coming from the direction of the object (in this case, our face).
- Clear Images: Mirrors are designed with a smooth surface that provides a clear and accurate reflection, allowing us to see a detailed image of ourselves.
Difference from Other Phenomena
- Refraction: This is the bending of light when it passes through different mediums, like glass or water, and does not produce a clear image like reflection does.
- Diffusion: This occurs when light scatters in many directions, resulting in a blurred image.
- Absorption: This happens when a surface takes in light rather than reflecting it, preventing any image from being seen.
In summary, the ability to see our reflection in a mirror is solely due to the process of reflection, making option 'C' the correct answer.