Chapter 16, Problem 1RQ

To determine

The difference between reflection and refraction.

Answer to Problem 1RQ

The two basic interactions of light with matter include reflection and refraction. Reflection is the phenomenon in which light bounces back from the surface and refraction is the bending of light due to change in velocity when light passes obliquely from one transparent medium to another.

Explanation of Solution

The phenomenon in which light bounces back from the surface is referred as reflection. Mainly, there are two types of reflection. They are diffuse reflection and internal reflection. In diffuse reflection, the reflection of rays occurs in different directions when light encounters a slightly irregular surface. In internal reflection, the light that travels through a transparent material, such as water, reaches the opposite surface and will be reflected back into the same transparent material. Internal reflection has a major role in the formation of optical phenomena such as rainbows.

When light strikes a transparent material, the non-reflected portion transmitted through the material undergoes refraction. It can be defined as the change in the direction of light when it passes obliquely from one transparent medium to another.