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Leaving Cert Physics: Reflection

How often Reflection comes up on the Physics papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 7 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

OL Asked on 8 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Physics course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Reflection, Higher Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Reflection.

(a)How are the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection related?
  1. The angle of incidence is twice the angle of reflection
  2. They are equal
  3. sin i divided by sin r is a constant
(b)A person stands 2.0 m in front of a plane mirror. How far is the person from their image?
  1. 1.0 m
  2. 2.0 m
  3. 4.0 m
(c)A ray strikes a plane mirror at 25° to the mirror's surface. What is the angle of reflection?
  1. 65°
  2. 50°
  3. 25°
Show the answers

(a) They are equal

(b) 4.0 m

(c) 65°

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Reflection.

Higher Level

Asked on 7 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q8
2025Q6(e)
2024Not asked
2023Q2
2022Not asked
2021Q2
2019Q2
2018Q11
2017Q12(c)
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Reflection questions

Reflection, 3 marks

Describe the image formed in a plane mirror.

  1. Real, inverted, the same size as the object and behind the mirror
  2. Virtual, erect, smaller than the object and not laterally inverted
  3. Virtual, erect, the same size as the object and laterally inverted
Show the answer

Virtual, erect, the same size as the object and laterally inverted

The image appears as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it. It cannot be caught on a screen, so it is virtual.

Reflection, 2 marks

Why is the image in a plane mirror called virtual?

  1. It is upside down and smaller than the object
  2. Rays only seem to come from it; no screen can catch it
  3. The reflected rays really do meet behind the mirror
Show the answer

Rays only seem to come from it; no screen can catch it

Reflected rays diverge. Traced back, they appear to meet behind the mirror, but no light actually goes there, so the image cannot be formed on a screen.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 8 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q2
2025Q9
2024Q8
2023Q2, Q6(f)
2022Q9
2021Q10
2019Not asked
2018Not asked
2017Q3, Q7
2016Q5(d)

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Reflection questions

Reflection, 2 marks

What is a real image?

  1. An image that is always the right way up
  2. An image that appears behind a mirror
  3. An image that can be formed on a screen
Show the answer

An image that can be formed on a screen

Real images are formed where rays actually meet. A virtual image, like the one in a plane mirror, cannot be caught on a screen.

Other Physics topics

All of Leaving Cert Physics