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Question

Question: Why can’t we see our image in a white sheet of paper though it reflects light?...

Why can’t we see our image in a white sheet of paper though it reflects light?

Explanation

Solution

Firstly, we know about the image and reflection of light. If a ray of light starting from a point meets at another point after reflection, then the other point is called the image. Reflection of light is the phenomenon of bouncing back of light in the same medium when light falls on a surface.

Complete step by step answer:
We cannot see our image in a white sheet of paper because white pieces of paper have a rough surface that means diffused reflection takes place. When a beam of light is incident on the white paper, it can be reflected at different angles. These multiple reflections scatter the reflecting rays of the image, and we lost the image.
Refer the figure below for an explanation:

Here in the figure, we have an object and paper, and light from the object after striking from the paper is scattered all over and we cannot see the clear picture of the object.

Additional information:
There are two types of reflection diffused and specular. In diffused reflection, the ray of light is scattered in different directions; hence no image is formed, and in specular reflection, the ray of light is scattered in the same direction hence the image can form for example a mirror.

Note:
For the reflection of light, two conditions are necessary.
i) The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
ii) The incident, the reflected, and the normal ray all lie in the same plane.