AFOQT Practice Test

What does it mean to reflect light?

1. To absorb light completely

2. To bend or throw back light or heat

3. To change light direction without any bounce

4. To scatter light in different directions

The correct answer is: To bend or throw back light or heat

The correct interpretation of reflecting light is accurately captured in the choice that describes it as bending or throwing back light or heat. When light reflects, it interacts with a surface, bouncing off rather than being absorbed or transmitted through the material. This phenomenon is governed by the law of reflection, which states that the angle of incidence (the angle at which incoming light strikes a surface) equals the angle of reflection (the angle at which it bounces off). Other options do not align with the definition of reflection. Absorbing light completely involves conversion into other forms of energy rather than returning it, which clearly contrasts with the concept of reflection. Changing light direction without any bounce suggests a level of alteration that does not return the light to its source, which does not represent reflection either. Scattering light in different directions describes a diffusion process rather than the precise return of light, which again diverges from the definition of reflection.