_____ reflection occurs when a light wave strikes a mirror.

_____ reflection occurs when a light wave strikes a mirror.

• A. Diffuse
• B. Specular
• C. Backscatter
• D. Scattering

Answer: (B)

Specular reflection is what happens when light hits a smooth surface like a mirror. Because the surface is uniform at the scale of the light’s wavelength, the incident rays reflect at angles that equal their angles of incidence, producing a clear, upright image. This orderly reflection contrasts with diffuse reflection, which occurs on rough surfaces where the reflected rays scatter in many directions and the image is lost. Other terms like backscatter refer to light bouncing back toward the source, not forming a typical mirror image, and scattering is a broader process involving redirection of light by particles, not the smooth, angle-preserving bounce off a mirror. So the mirror’s clear reflection comes from specular reflection.

Specular reflection is what happens when light hits a smooth surface like a mirror. Because the surface is uniform at the scale of the light’s wavelength, the incident rays reflect at angles that equal their angles of incidence, producing a clear, upright image. This orderly reflection contrasts with diffuse reflection, which occurs on rough surfaces where the reflected rays scatter in many directions and the image is lost. Other terms like backscatter refer to light bouncing back toward the source, not forming a typical mirror image, and scattering is a broader process involving redirection of light by particles, not the smooth, angle-preserving bounce off a mirror. So the mirror’s clear reflection comes from specular reflection.