WHAT CAUSES REFLECTIONS?

• Light from the sun or a light bulb travels in waves that move in straight lines. When the light waves hit an object, they bounce off it. This action is called reflection. For most objects, the light bounces in many directions at the same time.  When this happens, it allows us to see the object. A picture of the object is sent to the brain from the eye, which helps us to understand what we see.

• Light waves act differently, however, when they hit a smooth, shiny surface. Hitting a surface like a mirror makes the light waves bounce directly back to your eyes. This unique movement allows you to see yourself being reflected instead of seeing just the mirror itself. Anything shiny can act like a mirror when the light hits it. Have you ever seen your face reflected in the funny rounded side of a pot or pan? You can even see reflections on the surface of water if it is smooth and still. You have probably seen beautiful pictures of mountain scenes where the mountains and sky are reflected on the smooth surface of the lake.

• Water and glass have a special ability. They can refract, or bend, light. That is why a spoon in a clear glass of water will look bent when it really is not. The ability of glass to refract light has given us some useful products, like eyeglasses to help us see clearly, and magnifying glasses to enlarge our view.

Name:__________________________________

Answer the following questions based on the reading passage. Do not forget to go back to the passage whenever necessary to find or confirm   your answers.

1)   How does light travel?

2)   Why can we see objects? 

3)  How do light waves act when they hit a smooth or shiny surface?

4)  Will a lake filled with people boating and swimming act like a mirror? Why, or why not?

5)  What ability of glass allows us to magnify, or make things larger?