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Reflection If waves are incident upon a reflecting surface (e.g. mirror, harbour wall, etc.) they will obey the law of reflection which states: angle of incidence = angle of reflection, where the angles are measured from the surface normal. Specular Reflection - When the energy is scattered in only one direction, where the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, the scattered energy is generally called a specular reflection. In a specular reflection, most of the energy is concentrated into a very short period of time
- Diffuse Reflection
- When the energy is scattered uniformly in many directions and temporally dispersed, the scattered energy is called a diffuse reflection. In a diffuse reflection the energy is distributed over a longer period of time than in a specular reflection.
See also: Diffuse Reflection, Isometry, Scattering, Specular Reflections, Wave.
  
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