If refraction is the bending of light, what is reflection?

1 Answer
Jun 16, 2018

Reflection is the "bouncing back" of light, or a reversal of the photon's direction.

Explanation:

Refraction occurs inside a material, reflection is an effect on the surface or outside of a material.

Reflection is the change in direction of a wavefront at an between two different media so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated. Common examples include the reflection of light, sound and water waves.

The most classic case of photon reflection occurs in a mirror of polished metal, a type of material and surface which reflects all the frequencies of light and a large percentage of the incident photons.
http://www.theoryofabsolutes.com/photonreflectionindepth.html