Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

When light strikes a mirror at a certain angle, what happens to it?

1. It gets absorbed

2. It bends at a different angle

3. It bounces off at the same angle

4. It dissipates

The correct answer is: It bounces off at the same angle

When light strikes a mirror, it reflects rather than absorbing, bending, or dissipating. The principle governing this phenomenon is known as the law of reflection, which states that the angle at which the light ray hits the surface (the angle of incidence) is equal to the angle at which it bounces off (the angle of reflection). This means that the light maintains its angle relative to the normal (an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface of the mirror at the point of incidence) as it reflects, leading to clear and accurate reflections. In contrast, absorption would mean that the light isn't reflected, bending suggests a change in direction due to the medium's properties (such as entering a different material), and dissipation implies the light dispersing rather than maintaining its direction, which does not occur with a mirror's reflective surface. Therefore, the answer aligns with the fundamental behavior of light when it interacts with reflective surfaces.