SA2 FOCUS · Light & Reflection
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Secondary 1 · SA2 Topic Focus · Section F

Light, Reflection
& Colour

Reflection · Law of reflection · Rays · Colour
13 questions · self-marked · drill until 100%

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BBC Bitesize · Light & Reflection Kurzgesagt · What Is Light? PhET sim · Bending Light Why is the sky blue / colour More videos →
🪞 Reflection & Rays 📐 Law of Reflection 🌈 Light & Colour
🪞
Part 1

Reflection & Rays

Key words: the incident ray goes towards the mirror; the reflected ray bounces off; the normal is an imaginary line at 90° to the mirror. Angles are always measured from the normal.
Q1
What is meant by the reflection of light?
1 mark
Light bending as it passes through glass or water
Light bouncing off a surface
Light being absorbed and turned into heat
Light being made by the Sun
Q2
Which surface produces a clear mirror image?
1 mark
A black, dull surface
A rough, bumpy surface
A smooth, shiny surface (like a flat mirror)
A transparent window
Q3
In a reflection diagram: A = ray coming in towards the mirror; B = dashed line at 90° to the mirror; C = ray going out from the mirror. Which pair shows the incident ray and the reflected ray?
1 mark
A and B
B only
B and C
A and C
Q4
What is the normal in a ray diagram?
1 mark
The ray of light coming from the lamp
The shadow behind the mirror
The shiny surface of the mirror itself
An imaginary line drawn at 90° (perpendicular) to the mirror, used to measure angles
Q5
The angle of incidence is measured between the incident ray and which line?
1 mark
The normal (the 90° line)
The surface of the mirror
The edge of the paper
The reflected ray
REFLECTION & RAYS — SECTION SCORE
0/5
📐
Part 2

The Law of Reflection

The law of reflection: the angle of incidence = the angle of reflection. Both angles are measured from the normal.
Q6
Which statement correctly describes the law of reflection?
2 marks
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, both measured from the normal
The angle of incidence is always 90°
The reflected ray always travels straight back the way it came
Light always reflects horizontally
Q7
A ray hits a mirror with an angle of incidence of 30°. What is the angle of reflection?
1 mark
degrees (°)
Q8
A ray hits a mirror with an angle of incidence of 45°. What is the angle of reflection?
1 mark
degrees (°)
Q9
A ray travels straight along the normal and hits the mirror head-on (angle of incidence = 0°). What does the reflected ray do?
1 mark
It passes through the mirror
It reflects at 90° sideways
It reflects straight back along the same line (angle of reflection = 0°)
It disappears
Q10
A student measures the angle of incidence from the mirror surface instead of from the normal and gets 60°. What is the true angle of incidence (measured from the normal)?
1 mark
degrees (°)
LAW OF REFLECTION — SECTION SCORE
0/6
🌈
Part 3

Light & Colour

Key idea: white light is a mixture of all the colours of the spectrum. An object looks a certain colour because it reflects that colour and absorbs the others.
Q11
When white light passes through a prism, it splits into a band of colours. What is this band called?
1 mark
The shadow
The spectrum (the colours of the rainbow)
The reflection
The normal
Q12
Why does a red apple look red in white light?
2 marks
It reflects red light into our eyes and absorbs the other colours
It makes its own red light
It absorbs red light and reflects all the others
It lets all light pass straight through it
Q13
A green leaf is lit by white light. Which colour of light is it mostly reflecting?
1 mark
LIGHT & COLOUR — SECTION SCORE
0/4
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