What does the law of reflection state?

The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. This principle is fundamental in optics and applies to the reflection of light off surfaces such as mirrors.

When light rays hit a reflective surface, they approach the surface at a certain angle, known as the angle of incidence. Upon reflection, the light exits at the same angle but measured from the normal line (an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence).

This equality of angles means that if a light ray hits a mirror at a 30-degree angle relative to the normal, it will reflect off the mirror at the same 30-degree angle on the opposite side of the normal. This law applies universally to all reflective phenomena and can be demonstrated through simple experiments with mirrors. This understanding is crucial for applications in various fields, including optics, photography, and design of optical instruments.