angle of incidence
The "angle of incidence" is a key concept in physics and engineering, describing the angle at which a wave or ray meets a surface.
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Definition
C1Optics
(technical, academic)The angle between a ray of light and a line perpendicular to the surface at the point where the light meets the surface.
Example
- The angle of incidence affects how light is refracted when it passes through different media.
- When the angle of incidence increases, the amount of light reflected also changes.
C1Aeronautics
(technical, engineering)The fixed angle between the chord line of an aircraft wing and the longitudinal axis of the fuselage.
Example
- The angle of incidence of the wing influences the lift generated during flight.
- Adjusting the angle of incidence can help optimize an aircraft's performance.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "angle of incidence":
critical angleangle of attackangle forplane angleangle shotvertical angleangle shootingangle barangle quoteright angle