Do all surfaces reflect light?
YES...they need to reflect light in order for us to see them.
So what does that mean for why we see a reflection in some objects, and not others? Sixth graders completed a lab in which they compared the light meter readings from a mirror to that of a paper, keeping the flashlight position constant and changing the location of the light meter.
From our data, students quickly discovered the pattern from the data. Light that strikes a mirror at one angle bounces off at the same angle, and that's seen in the data from the pattern that emerged. The paper's surface wasn't as predictable, and therefore, doesn't have a pattern to generate a reflection. Awesome work, sixth graders!
YES...they need to reflect light in order for us to see them.
So what does that mean for why we see a reflection in some objects, and not others? Sixth graders completed a lab in which they compared the light meter readings from a mirror to that of a paper, keeping the flashlight position constant and changing the location of the light meter.
From our data, students quickly discovered the pattern from the data. Light that strikes a mirror at one angle bounces off at the same angle, and that's seen in the data from the pattern that emerged. The paper's surface wasn't as predictable, and therefore, doesn't have a pattern to generate a reflection. Awesome work, sixth graders!