Asked by Keen
1. When light waves strike a mirror, they change direction.
2. Light waves travel at the same speed in all materials.
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1. True. When light hits a mirror it is reflected and its direction changes. For a smooth (plane) mirror the law of reflection holds: the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection (θi = θr). A rough surface scatters light in many directions rather than producing a single reflected beam.
2. False. Light does not travel at the same speed in all materials. In vacuum the speed is c ≈ 3.00×10^8 m/s; in a material the speed is v = c/n, where n is the refractive index (n > 1 for ordinary materials), so light slows in glass, water, etc. This change in speed causes refraction (change of direction) at boundaries and is described by Snell’s law: n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2. (Note: phase and group velocities can have subtleties in dispersive or engineered media, but the basic result above applies.)
2. False. Light does not travel at the same speed in all materials. In vacuum the speed is c ≈ 3.00×10^8 m/s; in a material the speed is v = c/n, where n is the refractive index (n > 1 for ordinary materials), so light slows in glass, water, etc. This change in speed causes refraction (change of direction) at boundaries and is described by Snell’s law: n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2. (Note: phase and group velocities can have subtleties in dispersive or engineered media, but the basic result above applies.)
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