Regular and Irregular Reflection

Reflection of light is the simplified phenomenon of the bouncing back of light after falling on any surface. There are many practical examples around to observe the actual phenomena of reflection. When light falls on the smooth and polished surface, it bounces back and reflects with clear visibility. The process of reflection can be termed as light approaching any surface that gives the immediate effect and attains two major categorizations. Defining it more precisely, the ray of light that falls on the surface is an incident ray, the ray which bounces back after falling is the reflected ray in the process. A perpendicular angle is formed between the beams, which is termed Normal.

Laws of Reflection

Specific laws of reflection are imperative to understand to determine the incident and reflected rays according to the irregular surface on which they fall. There are two significant laws of reflection, and surfaces can be a plane mirror, metal, paper, etc. All the laws have assumptions considering the plane mirror, but the result can differ on different surfaces. Below are the mentions of the laws of reflection:

• The incident ray reflected ray and normal will always lie on a similar plane
• The angle of the incident (i) will always be equal to the angle of reflection (r)

These two laws can be applied to determine the surface, incident and reflected rays, and associate angles in most reflection mediums.

Types of Reflection

On the primary grounds, the reflection has two major categories. These categories act differently with the various surfaces and elements. In this complete phenomenon, if the element or surface is changed, the reflection also changes. Below are the mentions of two basic types of reflection:

• Regular reflection and
• Irregular reflection

Regular reflection: Regular reflection is also termed specular reflection. These are simplified reflections that are understandable through the plane mirror. The plane mirror is not the standard mirror we use every day; rather than it is the glass mirror coated uniformly with heavy reflective material like powder. This uniform coating of the reflective material reflects the total amount of light when the light falls on the mirror. In this type of reflection, there is no variation in incident ray, reflected ray and angles at the variable point of the glass. Because of this minimal variation in the reflecting angles in the mirror, the blur and hazy appearance of the image is eliminated.

Characteristics

• In regular reflection, when light falls on the smooth surface reflects in a parallel manner
• Common examples of regular reflection are silver, mirrors
• The image is in form position with complete clarity and visibility

Irregular reflection: There are many other reflective surfaces apart from mirrors. All such surfaces are part of irregular reflections. The irregular reflection is also known as the diffused reflection. In irregular reflection, the reflective surfaces are usually rough compared to the surfaces in regular reflection. When the light falls on such uneven surfaces, the reflection of light is entirely distorted and misaligned. The rough surfaces can be wood, glass, etc. Any dents, scratches, or dust can also distort the variation in the irregular reflection. In the scientific language, the incident ray falls on the surface in different positions and reflects irregularly from other places. Also, there is variation in the reflection with the incident and reflected ray direction. It is why several non-shiny objects are visible.

Characteristics

• The light falls on a rough surface in the irregular reflection and reflects in a distorted direction
• The incident rays and reflected rays are not parallel to each other
• Images of non-shiny objects are clear, while shiny objects reflect burry images

Regular and Irregular Reflection: Difference

Several noticeable differences between regular and irregular reflection notify the change in the positioning of the incident ray and reflected ray. Due to these differences, the values of the angle formed, which is the angle of the incident (i) and angle of reflection (r), also vary. Below are some of the differences mentioned. Let’s have a look:

Conclusion

Here are the details about irregular reflection and regular reflection with its differential factors. Both reflections act according to the law of reflection, and the images are formed according to the rough surface. However, the type of surfaces is the primary factor in the difference in the variable type of reflection. The light reflects uniformly and in a single direction through the smooth and shiny surfaces. On the other hand, on rugged and rough surfaces, the reflection of light distorts itself in several directions.