YOU ARE LEARNING:
Specular and Diffuse Reflection
Specular and Diffuse Reflection
Specular reflection occurs when light reflects off plane surfaces such as a mirror, whereas diffuse reflection occurs with rough surfaces.
In this lesson we shall look at what the difference is between specular and diffuse reflection.
Can you recall why we use plane mirrors for ray diagrams?
What do you think the word diffuse means?
Which of these diagrams do you think represents diffuse reflection? Answer left or right.
The left image is therefore specular reflection.
Specular means to resemble a plane mirror. It is defined by the smooth reflection.
What does the law of reflection state?
Do you think the law of reflection applies in diffuse reflection?
What does the reflection on a plane mirror look like?
What do you think the reflection from a very rough surface looks like?
What type of reflection forms virtual images?
To sum up, the difference between diffuse reflection and specular reflection lies in the surface reflecting the incident rays.
Specular reflection occurs with plane surfaces such as a mirror, whereas diffuse reflection occurs with rough surfaces (so surfaces that are not mirrors).
