specular reflection

views 2,902,788 updated May 21 2018

specular reflection Reflection from a glossy surface. Many real surfaces are not matt but reflect light, i.e. are glossy; the surfaces of billiard balls, apples, and china are glossy while mirrors are an extreme case, being perfect specular reflectors. If the surface is not a perfect mirror, the reflected light will occur in a cone centered around the perfect reflection direction. The amount of light reflected will be some fraction of the incident light. The result is a highlight that has the color of the light source rather than of the object. An empirical formula suggested by Bui-Tuong Phong in 1975 is often used in computer graphics to define specular reflection. Compare diffuse reflection.

specular reflection

views 3,142,449 updated May 08 2018

specular reflection Reflection of light or a radar beam, as from a mirror or a plane faceted surface such as an angular boulder. See BACKSCATTER; compare DIFFUSE REFLECTION.

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