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Reflection of light is either specular (mirror-like) or diffuse (retaining the energy, but losing the image) depending on the nature of the interface.In specular reflection the phase of the reflected waves depends on the choice of the origin of coordinates, but the relative phase between s and p (TE and TM) polarizations is fixed by the properties of the media and of the interface between them.
Snell's law (also known as the Snell–Descartes law, the ibn-Sahl law, [1] and the law of refraction) is a formula used to describe the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction, when referring to light or other waves passing through a boundary between two different isotropic media, such as water, glass, or air.
The law of reflection states that a reflected ray of light emerges from the reflecting surface at the same angle to the surface normal as the incident ray, but on the opposing side of the surface normal in the plane formed by the incident and reflected rays. This behavior was first described by Hero of Alexandria (AD c. 10–70). [2]
The ordinary law of refraction was at that time attributed to René Descartes (d. 1650), who had tried to explain it by supposing that light was a force that propagated instantaneously, or that light was analogous to a tennis ball that traveled faster in the denser medium, [44] [45] either premise being inconsistent with Fermat's.
When light strikes the interface between a medium with refractive index n 1 and a second medium with refractive index n 2, both reflection and refraction of the light may occur.
Polishing produces some specular reflection, but the remaining light continues to be diffusely reflected. The most general mechanism by which a surface gives diffuse reflection does not involve exactly the surface: most of the light is contributed by scattering centers beneath the surface, [2] [3] as illustrated in Figure 1
Example: A surface with a luminance of say 100 cd/m 2 (= 100 nits, typical PC monitor) will, if it is a perfect Lambert emitter, have a luminous emittance of 100π lm/m 2. If its area is 0.1 m 2 (~19" monitor) then the total light emitted, or luminous flux, would thus be 31.4 lm.
Lambertian reflection from polished surfaces is typically accompanied by specular reflection , where the surface luminance is highest when the observer is situated at the perfect reflection direction (i.e. where the direction of the reflected light is a reflection of the direction of the incident light in the surface), and falls off sharply.