Plane mirrors & Images

  • An extremely, smooth, flat reflective surface

  • Light reflect by plane mirrors produces image that’s nearly identical to object

  • When light shines on object, it reflects on all points of object in all directions

  • When reflected rays reach plane mirror, follow laws of reflection and reflect backwards

  • Some rays reach eyes if you’re looking at mirror

  • Carries same pattern of light to eye that was reflected off object

  • Brain assumes light travels in straight line & thinks image behind mirror

Characteristics of images (LOST)

  • Location:

  1. Closer to mirror than object

  2. Further from mirror than object

  3. Same distance

  • Orientation:

  1. Upright

  2. Inverted (Upside-down)

  • Size:

  1. Same size

  2. Larger

  3. Smaller

  • Type:

  1. Real

  2. Virtual

Virtual Images:

  • Aren’t real image

  • Formed when extended rays meet (not reflected rays)

  • Located behind mirror

Real Image:

  • Formed when reflected rays meet

  • Located in front of mirror

  • If you place a screen at the position of a real image, the rays will meet at the screen and form an image ​

  • Example: an image on a movie screen is a real image​