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A light ray strikes a reflective plane surface at the angle 54° with the surface.

A) What is the angle of reflection?
B) What is the angle of incidence?
C) Provide the angle of reflection with respect to the angle of incidence.
D) Determine the angle of refraction.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The angle of reflection and incidence are both 54° when a light ray strikes a reflective surface at that angle. The angle of reflection is always equal to the angle of incidence, per the law of reflection. Without additional information such as the refractive indices of the media, the angle of refraction cannot be determined.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a light ray strikes a reflective plane surface at an angle of 54° with the surface, several factors come into play:

  • Angle of reflection: According to the law of reflection, the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence. So if the incident ray is striking the surface at 54°, the angle of reflection is also 54°.
  • Angle of Incidence: The angle of incidence in this context is the angle that the incoming ray makes with the normal to the surface at the point of reflection. For this question, the angle of incidence is 54° because it is given that the light ray strikes the surface at 54°.
  • With respect to the angle of incidence, the angle of reflection is the same. They are both equal.
  • Angle of refraction: The question does not provide enough information to determine the angle of refraction, such as the indices of refraction of the two media involved (air and the other medium). The angle of refraction can be calculated using Snell's Law if the refractive index is known.
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