Chapter 17, Problem 70A

To determine

To explain:The reason for the roughness of book pages rather than smooth and glossy.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

When the light incident on an object gets bounce back, it is called reflection of light. If the reflecting surface is smooth then the angle at which the light gets reflected is same as that of the angle at which the light incident on that surface. But if the reflecting surface is rough then the light gets reflected in different directions. This is called diffuse reflection. Most of the objects are visible because of the reflection of light from the source (from its surface).

If the pages of the book are smooth and glossy, there will be less diffuse reflection of light rays and hence larger the brightness from the page. This makes uncomfortable for the reader. But if the pages are rough, then there will be more diffuse reflection of light rays and hence it makes comfortable for the reader.