All Flashcards
What is a light ray?
A straight-line path that light travels in a specific direction, perpendicular to the wavefront.
Define angle of incidence.
The angle between the incoming light ray and the normal (a line perpendicular to the surface).
Define angle of reflection.
The angle between the outgoing (reflected) light ray and the normal (a line perpendicular to the surface).
What is diffuse reflection?
Reflection that occurs when light bounces off a rough, irregular surface, scattering light in many directions.
What is specular reflection?
Reflection that occurs when light bounces off a smooth, polished surface, reflecting light uniformly in a single direction.
What are the differences between specular and diffuse reflection?
Specular: smooth surface, uniform reflection, clear image | Diffuse: rough surface, scattered reflection, blurry image.
Compare the surfaces that cause specular and diffuse reflection.
Specular: smooth, polished surfaces (mirrors, calm water) | Diffuse: rough, irregular surfaces (paper, fabric).
Compare the images formed by specular and diffuse reflection.
Specular: clear, undistorted images | Diffuse: blurry, scattered images.
Specular vs. Diffuse: Direction of reflected rays?
Specular: Reflected rays are parallel. | Diffuse: Reflected rays scatter in many directions.
Specular vs. Diffuse: Image clarity?
Specular: Clear image. | Diffuse: No clear image.
Define a light ray.
A straight-line path that light travels in a specific direction, perpendicular to the wavefront.
What is the angle of incidence?
The angle between the incoming light ray and the normal (a line perpendicular to the surface).
What is the angle of reflection?
The angle between the outgoing (reflected) light ray and the normal.
Define specular reflection.
Reflection from a smooth surface where incident light reflects uniformly in a single direction.
Define diffuse reflection.
Reflection from a rough surface where incident light rays scatter in many different directions.