Reflection occurs when a wave hits a surface and bounces back into the original medium instead of passing through the surface. This is similar to how a ball bounces off a wall.

For the AQA exams, you should be able to draw out ray diagrams to show the reflections of waves at a surface. To do this, you will need a sharp pencil, a ruler and a protractor.

Method

1. Draw on the 'normal'. The 'normal' is simply another word for a line that is at 90 degrees to the boundary.
2. Draw the incident ray. Using a protractor, measure out an angle. Using a ruler, draw a straight line along the angle to create the incident ray.
3. Draw on the reflected ray. Again, take your protractor and measure out the same angle as before. This time, you should be measuring the angle on the opposite side. Draw a straight line along this angle, ensuring that it touches the normal.