ABSTRACT
Specular reflection occurs w hen ligh t s trik es th e sm ooth in terface betw een tw o m ateria ls . F or an ideal specu lar surface, all of th e lig h t inciden t from a given direction is reflected in to th e single direction in th e p lane of incidence such th a t th e angle of incidence equals th e angle of reflection. P erfect m irro rs, for exam ple, a re ideal specu lar surfaces. R eal surfaces u sua lly deviate from ideal specu lar reflectors in two respects. F irs t, rea l su r faces u sua lly exh ib it some degree of roughness causing incident lig h t to be reflected over a range of angles. Also, a t m ost in terfaces, som e of th e inciden t ligh t p en e tra te s in to th e object m ate ria l w here i t is e ith e r absorbed, tran sm itte d , or sca t te red back th ro u g h th e in terface.
