Why does light reflect or refract?
Reflection and refraction are the actions of waves, whether they are sound, light, or something else. The actual photon interaction with matter during reflection and refraction is very complex. Luckily for the purposes of optics the quantum interaction is irrelevant. In the context of refraction and reflection, it is important to think of light as a wave, not particles. reflection: Light reflects when it bounces off the surface of a material. It bounces away at the same angle that it hits the material. So if it hits at an angle of 25 degrees, it will bounce in the opposite direction at 25 degrees (the total angle being 50 degrees). There are two types of visible light reflection. Specular reflection occurs on a smooth surface where all the light hits the surface at the same angle, and reflects at the same angle. An image is reflected back. Mirrors produce excellent specular reflections. Diffuse reflection occurs on a rough or textured surface where the light hits the material at the sa
