Diffuse reflection

Diffuse and specular reflection from a glossy surface.^[1] The rays represent luminous intensity, which varies according to Lambert's cosine law for an ideal diffuse reflector.

Diffuse reflection is the reflection of light or other waves or particles from a surface such that a ray incident on the surface is scattered at many angles rather than at just one angle as in the case of specular reflection. An ideal diffuse reflecting surface is said to exhibit Lambertian reflection, meaning that there is equal luminance when viewed from all directions lying in the half-space adjacent to the surface.

A surface built from a non-absorbing powder such as plaster, or from fibers such as paper, or from a polycrystalline material such as white marble, reflects light diffusely with great efficiency. Many common materials exhibit a mixture of specular and diffuse reflection.

The visibility of objects, excluding light-emitting ones, is primarily caused by diffuse reflection of light: it is diffusely-scattered light that forms the image of the object in the observer's eye.

^ Scott M. Juds (1988). Photoelectric sensors and controls: selection and application. CRC Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-8247-7886-6. Archived from the original on 2018-01-14.

[1] Scott M. Juds (1988). Photoelectric sensors and controls: selection and application. CRC Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-8247-7886-6. Archived from the original on 2018-01-14.

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