Practice Reflection in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

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Quick Recap

The change in direction of a wave at a boundary so that it returns into the original medium.

Like a ball bouncing off a wall—the wave reverses direction at the boundary.

Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.

Example 1

medium
A ray reflects with angle of reflection 35∘35^\circ. What is the angle between the reflected ray and the mirror surface?

Example 2

easy
Light reflects off a mirror with an angle of incidence of 45∘45^\circ. Find the angle of reflection.

Example 3

challenge
Three mutually perpendicular mirrors form a corner cube. Show that any ray entering the corner cube exits parallel to (but reversed from) the incoming ray.

Example 4

medium
A ray hits a mirror at θi=15∘\theta_i = 15^\circ. Find the angle between the reflected ray and the incident ray.

Example 5

hard
Two plane mirrors meet at 60°60°. A ray enters parallel to one mirror and reflects off the other. After reflecting off the second mirror, then the first, what angle does the outgoing ray make with the incoming ray?

Example 6

easy
A ray reflects from a mirror so that the angle between the incident ray and the mirror surface is 60°60°. What is the angle of reflection (measured from the normal)?

Example 7

easy
A light ray hits a plane mirror at an angle of 35°35° to the normal. What is the angle of reflection?

Example 8

challenge
Two mirrors meet at an angle of 60∘60^\circ. How many images of an object placed between them are formed?

Example 9

easy
Name the plane that contains both the incident ray and the reflected ray.

Example 10

medium
A ray hits a plane mirror at 52°52° from the surface. What is the angle of reflection from the normal?

Example 11

medium
A ray reflects off a mirror; the angle between the incident and reflected rays is 80∘80^\circ. Find the angle of incidence.

Example 12

easy
True or false: A rough surface obeys the law of reflection at each microscopic point.

Example 13

easy
Light hits a mirror along the normal (angle of incidence 0∘0^\circ). What is the angle of reflection?

Example 14

medium
A light ray strikes a mirror. The angle between the incident ray and the reflected ray is 80°80°. What is the angle of incidence?

Example 15

medium
A ray reflects off a mirror, then off a second mirror parallel to the first. What can you say about the outgoing ray's direction relative to the incoming ray's direction?

Example 16

hard
A periscope uses two parallel mirrors, each tilted 45°45° from horizontal. A horizontal ray enters the top mirror. What is the direction of the ray exiting the bottom mirror?

Example 17

medium
Two mirrors meet at 90∘90^\circ. A ray reflects off both. By what total angle is it deflected?

Example 18

easy
A laser pointer hits a plane mirror at 20°20° to the normal. What is the angle of reflection?

Example 19

medium
A horizontal ray hits a mirror tilted so its normal is 30∘30^\circ from horizontal. By what angle is the ray deflected?

Example 20

challenge
A ray travels horizontally and must be turned to travel straight up using one flat mirror. At what angle to the horizontal must the mirror be set?
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