GENERAL PHYSICS 2

Module 3
The use of ray diagrams were introduced and illustrated. Ray diagrams can be used to determine
where a person must sight along a mirror in order to see an image of him/herself. As such, ray diagrams can
be used to determine what portion of a plane mirror must be used in order to view an image. The diagram
below depicts a 6-foot tall man standing in front of a plane mirror. To see the image of his feet, he must sight
along a line towards his feet; and to see the image of the top of his head, he must sight along a line
towards the top of his head. The ray diagram depicts these lines of sight and the complete path of light from his
extremities to the mirror and to the eye. In order to view his image, the man must look as low as point Y (to
see his feet) and as high as point X (to see the tip of his head). The man only needs the portion of mirror
extending between points X and Y in order to view his entire image. All other portions of the mirror are useless
to the task of this man viewing his own image. The diagram depicts some important information about plane
mirrors. Using a cm ruler, measure the height of the man (the vertical arrow) on the computer screen and
measure the distance between points X and Y. What do you notice? The man is twice as tall as the distance
between points X and Y. In other words, to view an image of yourself in a plane mirror, you will need an
amount of mirror equal to one-half of your height. A 6-foot tall man needs 3-feet of mirror (positioned properly)
in order to view his entire image.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF VARYING OBJECT DISTANCE?

But what if the man stood a different distance from the mirror? Wouldn't that cause the man to need a different
amount of mirror to view his image? Maybe less mirror would be required in such an instance? These
questions can be explored with the help of another ray diagram. The diagram below depicts a man standing
different distances from a plane mirror. Ray diagrams for each situation (standing close and standing far away)
are drawn. To assist in distinguishing between the two ray diagrams, they have been color-coded. Red and
blue light rays have been used for the situation in which the man is standing far away. Green and purple light
rays have been used for the situation in which the man is standing close to the mirror.

The two ray diagrams above demonstrate that the distance that a person stands from the mirror will not affect
the amount of mirror that the person needs to see their image. Indeed in the diagram, the man's line of sight
crosses the mirror at the same locations. A 6-foot tall man needs 3-feet of mirror to view his whole image
regardless of where he is standing. In fact, the man needs the exact same 3-feet of mirror. A common Physics
lab involves using a tall plane mirror to explore the relationship between object height and the portion of mirror
needed to view an image. A student stands a few meters from a plane mirror and views her image. With the
student standing upright and still and staring at her feet, the lab partner moves a marker up and down the
mirror until the sight location on the mirror is identified. The partner then marks this location on the mirror with
an erasable marker. The process is repeated for the student staring at the tip of her head. Of course, being
a lab, the procedure is subject to a variety of procedural and measurement error that may yield less than ideal
results. The mirrors are occasionally mounted on a wall that is not perfectly vertical. Or a student will lean
forward a slight amount, thus reducing his/her effective height. Or the mirror warps over the years leading to
one that is concave or convex rather than planar. Despite these potential complications, the 1:2 ratio between
the amount of mirror required to view the image and the height of the object is often observed.
 LEARNING ACTIVITY # 3
GENERAL PHYSICS
NAME: __________________________________________________ SCORE: ___________________

GRADE/SECTION: _________________________________________ DATE: ____________________

ACTIVITY 1.

Sam Azucena is 6-feet tall. He is the tallest person in his family. It just so happens that Sam learned the
important principle of the 2:1 relationship just prior to his family's decision to purchase a mirror that was to be
used by the entire family. Sam decided to put it to good use. Sam convinced his parents that it would be a
waste of money to buy a mirror longer than 3 feet. "After all," Sam argued, "I'm the tallest person in the family
and only three feet of mirror would be required to view my image." Sam's parents conceded and they
purchased a 3-foot tall mirror and mounted it on the bathroom wall.

Comment on the wisdom behind the Azucena family decision.

Assessment
DIRECTION: Choose the best answer from the choices give. Encircle the letter of your choice.
1. Using the image about plane mirrors. Which one is a true fact?
a. Angle of incidence + angle of reflection
b. Angle of incidence = angle of reflection
c. Angle of incidence - angle of reflection
2. __________________ is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface.
a. Normal line b. Reflected line c. Incident line
3. A virtual image is a copy of an object formed at the location from which the light rays appear to come
a. True b. False
4. A flat sheet of glass that has a smooth, silver colored coating on one side
a. Plane mirror b. Convex mirror c. Concave Mirror
5. According to the law of reflection, a light ray striking a mirror
a. Continues moving through the mirror in the same direction
b. Bounces off the mirror toward the direction it came form
c. Moves into the mirror at a slightly different angle
d. Bounces off the mirror at the same angle it hits
6. The fact are the two angles are the same is an example of
a. Refraction b. Law of reflection c. Angle of incidence d. Magninfication
7. The following is a picture of what type of mirror
a. Convex Mirror b. Plane mirror c. Concave Mirror d. Flat Mirror
8. The following is a picture of what type of mirror
a. Convex Mirror b. Plane mirror c. Concave Mirror d. Flat Mirror
9. Plane mirror create real images
a. True b. False
10. A material that reflect and absorb all the light that strikes it is called which of the following
a. Transparent b. Diffuse c. Translucent d. Opaque