When sound strikes a Specular reflector at an oblique angle, the angle of reflection is:

When sound strikes a Specular reflector at an oblique angle, the angle of reflection is:

• A. Equal to but opposite the angle of incidence
• B. Greater than the angle of incidence
• C. Less than the angle of incidence
• D. Twice that of the angle of incidence

Answer: (A)

For a smooth, mirror-like surface, the path of the sound follows the law of reflection: the angle the incoming sound makes with the surface normal is equal to the angle the outgoing sound makes with the same normal, but on the opposite side. In other words, the reflection comes off at the same angle as the incidence relative to the normal. This symmetry is what gives specular reflection its sharp, predictable path. It isn’t larger, smaller, or twice as big—the angles are equal with respect to the normal. Diffuse surfaces would scatter sound in many directions instead of producing a single, equal-angle reflection.

For a smooth, mirror-like surface, the path of the sound follows the law of reflection: the angle the incoming sound makes with the surface normal is equal to the angle the outgoing sound makes with the same normal, but on the opposite side. In other words, the reflection comes off at the same angle as the incidence relative to the normal. This symmetry is what gives specular reflection its sharp, predictable path. It isn’t larger, smaller, or twice as big—the angles are equal with respect to the normal. Diffuse surfaces would scatter sound in many directions instead of producing a single, equal-angle reflection.