Have you ever skipped stones off the surface of water at a local lake or river? Many children (and adults) find this simple task so much fun! You make it a competition involving the number of times your rock would skip before sinking, right? The good ones understand if a stone is horizontal or parallel to the water affects the ability of the rock to be able to skip off the surface more times or longer distances. That was the key to success when skipping stones.
The more vertical or perpendicular the stone is to the water, the more likely it will sink.
Light rays are reflected or absorbed based...