Lesson 1 of 6 · Light Optics
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabThe Law of Reflection
Light Optics.
🎯 Your mission
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
⚡ The twist
Energy never disappears — it just hides somewhere else.
Mind = Blown
🎢 You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: which will move faster, and why?
What You'll Learn
Light reflects from a smooth surface with the angle of incidence equal to the angle of reflection, both measured from the normal. Rough surfaces obey the same law at every point, but their varying normals scatter the light — that is diffuse reflection.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- ray box or laser pointer
- plane mirror
- protractor
- plain paper
Safety First
- Never look directly into a laser or aim it at a person or a mirror at eye level.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Shine a ray box at a plane mirror on paper. Mark the incident and reflected rays and the normal, and measure both angles for five different incidences. Tabulate them and state your conclusion.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2Angles in the law of reflection are measured from the:
Where you see this in real life
This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.
For the dinner table
“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
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We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
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Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Ready?
The Law of Reflection
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
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