When a beam of light hits a mirrored surface, is there any time lost in the change of direction? In other words, does 'the bounce' create any dely at the surface?

I;m not sure what you mean by "lost", but yes, time passes between the photon being absorbed and being "re-emitted" by the surface.

I'm not sure why you specify a mirrored surface - the same is true of reflection from any surface.

I;m not sure what you mean by "lost", but yes, time passes between the photon being absorbed and being "re-emitted" by the surface..


I appreciate your answer. I had gotten an answer from a science teacher. He said there was no time lost since there was no mass. I had figured, that since there was a process going on, it would have to use some time. Your answer seems to indicate I was right.


I'm not sure why you specify a mirrored surface - the same is true of reflection from any surface.

I used ‘mirrored’ to make sure I was clear. I didn’t know if different surfaces would affect the process.

Thanks for your help.