Add to collection
  • + Create new collection
  • In this activity, students investigate specular and diffuse reflection1 by looking into a dark box and shining a torch at various objects, coloured paper and a mirror.

    Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

    Darkened reflection box

    This box is used to investigate reflection of light. The box has been darkened with black paper. Students look through a viewing hole into the box to observe how light from a torch reflects from various objects.

    By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

    • describe how objects can only be seen if there is a light source
    • explain that diffuse2 reflection3 is when light reflects off a rough surface and travels in all different directions
    • explain that specular reflection4 is when light reflects off a mirror or other shiny surface and that the angle of reflection5 is always the same as the angle of incidence
    • describe how different coloured objects only reflect certain colours of light
    • describe how different colours of reflected light can combine to produce new colours.

    Download the Word file (see link below) for:

    • introduction/background notes
    • what you need
    • what to do
    • discussion questions
    • student handout.
    1. diffuse reflection: The reflection of light from a rough surface in which the incident light rays are reflected from the surface at many different angles.
    2. diffuse: Spread out.
    3. reflection: 1. The change in direction, or bouncing back of a wave when it strikes a surface. 2. Mirroring. 3. Casting back, as in light or heat.
    4. specular reflection: The reflection of light from a smooth surface in which the incident light rays are reflected from the surface such that the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence.
    5. angle of reflection: The angle between the reflected ray moving away from a flat surface and an imaginary line (called the normal) perpendicular to the surface at the point of reflection.
    Published 5 April 2012 Referencing Hub articles
        Go to full glossary
        Download all

        diffuse reflection

      1. + Create new collection
      2. The reflection of light from a rough surface in which the incident light rays are reflected from the surface at many different angles.

        specular reflection

      3. + Create new collection
      4. The reflection of light from a smooth surface in which the incident light rays are reflected from the surface such that the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence.

        diffuse

      5. + Create new collection
      6. Spread out.

        angle of reflection

      7. + Create new collection
      8. The angle between the reflected ray moving away from a flat surface and an imaginary line (called the normal) perpendicular to the surface at the point of reflection.

        reflection

      9. + Create new collection
      10. 1. The change in direction, or bouncing back of a wave when it strikes a surface.

        2. Mirroring.

        3. Casting back, as in light or heat.