Lesson T4.2.2

T4.2.2 Absorption, scattering and reflection Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T4.2.2, Absorption, scattering and reflection: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 4: Waves, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is specular reflection?

    • Bending of light as it passes through a glass block, which changes the direction of each ray slightly.
    • Reflection from a rough surface, where the rays of light scatter in many different directions at once.
    • Absorption of light by a dark surface, which turns the light energy into heat in the material below.
    • Reflection from a smooth surface, where parallel rays reflect in the same direction.

  2. What is diffuse scattering of light?

    • Light passing through a transparent material unchanged, so the material does not alter the beam.
    • Light turned into heat as it enters the surface, which warms the material as the light arrives.
    • Light reflected in many directions from a rough surface.
    • Light reflected from a smooth mirror in one direction, which forms a clear image of the scene.

  3. Why does a black surface feel warmer in sunlight than a white one?

    • Black surfaces absorb heat from the air around them, which makes them warmer than the air is.
    • White surfaces create more light energy than black ones, which means they become cooler in use.
    • Black surfaces reflect more light than white surfaces do, which sends extra heat back to the skin.
    • Black surfaces absorb more of the light energy and transfer it as heat.

  4. Which material is transparent to light?

    • Clean window glass
    • A piece of wood, which is thick and dark and blocks the light from passing through it completely
    • A thick sheet of metal, which reflects almost all of the light that falls onto its surface
    • A block of stone, which absorbs the light and does not let any of it pass through the stone

  5. A material lets some light through but blurs what you see behind it. What is it called?

    • Opaque, which means that no light at all can pass through the material to the viewer behind
    • Transparent, which means that light passes through with almost no change to what is seen
    • Translucent
    • Reflective, which means that the material bounces light back and does not let it through

  6. Which material is opaque to light?

    • A sheet of clear plastic, which lets light pass through with almost no change to its path
    • A thin layer of clean water, which lets light pass through so that the bottom can be seen
    • A brick wall
    • A glass window, which lets light pass through so that objects behind it can be clearly seen

  7. What happens to the light that is absorbed by a surface?

    • It is changed into sound energy, which is why absorbing surfaces make a faint crackle.
    • Its energy is transferred to the surface, often as thermal energy.
    • It is reflected back at the same intensity, so the surface gives all of the light back again.
    • It passes straight through the surface, which leaves the surface unchanged by the light.

  8. When light hits a mirror at an angle, what happens?

    • It passes through the mirror and is bent, so the light continues on the far side of the glass.
    • It is reflected at the same angle to the normal as it arrived.
    • It scatters in all directions equally, which is why a mirror looks dull rather than bright.
    • It is absorbed completely by the mirror, which then stores the light energy as heat for later.

  9. A sheet of white paper appears white in sunlight. Why?

    • It transmits all light through the paper, so that the light emerging from the paper looks white.
    • It absorbs all the colours of white light, so the paper looks white because it is dark inside.
    • It produces its own white light from its fibres, which makes the paper glow in sunlight.
    • It diffusely reflects most of the colours of white light.

  10. Why can you see your reflection in a still pond but not in a sheet of rough cardboard?

    • The still water reflects light specularly, while the cardboard scatters it diffusely.
    • The cardboard absorbs all light, so no reflection is possible from its surface at all.
    • The water stores light, which it then gives back, while the cardboard has no way to store it.
    • The cardboard is opaque to light and so cannot reflect it, which is why no image appears.

  11. Which type of surface is best for producing a clear image by reflection?

    • A rough brick wall, which scatters the light too much to form any sort of clear picture
    • A piece of crumpled aluminium foil, which scatters light in every direction from its folds
    • A sheet of matt black card, which absorbs almost all of the light that falls on its surface
    • A smooth, polished metal mirror

  12. Which of these is the best example of light being scattered in all directions?

    • Light reflected from a rough stone wall
    • Light that is absorbed by black paint, which turns the energy into heat and does not scatter it
    • Light reflected from a flat mirror, which bounces back in one clear direction to the viewer
    • Light passing through a glass window, which travels on through the glass in one straight line

  13. What is the effect of a dark coat on a summer day?

    • It turns the sunlight into sound energy for the wearer, which makes them feel a cooling breeze.
    • It absorbs more sunlight, which makes the wearer feel warmer.
    • It stops all sunlight reaching the wearer, so the wearer is completely shaded from the sun.
    • It reflects more sunlight and makes the wearer feel cooler, because the light bounces off the coat.

  14. Which description of a transparent material is correct?

    • Light is changed into sound inside the material, which is why the material carries a faint hum.
    • Light is reflected at every point of its surface, which stops the light from entering the material.
    • Light is absorbed and no light passes through, so nothing can be seen through the material at all.
    • Light passes through it and objects behind it can be seen clearly.

  15. A torch beam shines onto a sheet of frosted glass. What do you see on the far side?

    • A diffuse, blurred glow rather than a sharp beam
    • A complete absence of light, because the frosted glass absorbs all of the light from the torch.
    • A beam that is reflected straight back at the torch, which is what the frosted glass does.
    • A sharp, clear beam with no blurring, which passes straight through the frosted glass unchanged.

  16. Why do leaves appear green?

    • They absorb only green light and reflect all the other colours, which is why they look dark.
    • They emit green light from inside the leaf, which is produced by the chemicals in the cells.
    • They are transparent to green light only, so that green light passes through the leaf to our eyes.
    • They absorb most colours of light but reflect green light.

  17. Which process causes the ceiling of a room to look evenly lit?

    • Absorption by a metallic coating, which takes in the light and turns it into heat in the ceiling
    • Specular reflection from a glossy surface, which bounces light in clear directions across the room
    • Refraction through a glass lamp shade, which bends light as it passes through the glass shade
    • Diffuse reflection from a matt surface

  18. What happens to light that is neither absorbed nor transmitted by a surface?

    • It is changed into sound energy by the surface, which makes a faint noise as the light lands.
    • It is converted into electrical energy by the surface, which stores the light for later use.
    • It is reflected from the surface.
    • It is stored in the surface until it cools, which then releases the light slowly over time.

  19. Why does a glossy paint look shinier than a matt paint?

    • Glossy paint reflects light specularly, so more light goes in one direction.
    • Matt paint reflects light more strongly, so it looks dull by comparison with glossy paint
    • Glossy paint absorbs more light and gives off the extra as a glow that the viewer can see
    • Glossy paint makes light travel faster through the paint, which gives the surface its shine

  20. Which of these shows light being absorbed rather than reflected?

    • A black car parked in the sun getting very hot to touch
    • A mirror giving a clear reflection of the room behind the viewer standing in front of it
    • A white wall lighting up a room by reflecting light across it to all of the people inside
    • A glass of water sparkling with bright light on its rim as sunlight falls on the surface

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