Images in Plane Mirrors Lab
Regents Physics
Materials
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Team Names (2) ____________
Mr. Putnam
required for this Lab…
Plane Mirror
Pins [1 color-headed pin and 2 plain pins]
Foam Board
Ruler or straightedge & Protractor
ONE diagram (per partner) required for Part 1 and 2
Part I - Procedure
Use this paper to locate the Virtual Image of Color-headed pin “P” and draw using the procedures shown in
class. Place a Color-Headed Pin at Point “P” to begin your Ray Diagram.
For full credit, YOU MUST SHOW THAT YOU HAVE DRAWN THE FOLLOWING…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Draw the incident and reflected ray from TWO different positions. [One position can be along the
normal; the other from any other perspective.]
Remember to use SOLID rays for the incident and reflected rays and “dashed” lines to locate the
image.
Draw NORMALS with a protractor at each reflection point.
Label ALL angles of incidence and reflection.
Locate the Virtual Image of Point “P”.
MIRROR
P
Part II – Procedure
Use this paper to locate the Virtual Image of the Banana and draw using the procedures shown in class using
the same method as in Part I. . Place a Colored-Headed Pin at Point “A” of the banana to begin your Ray
Diagram. Repeat the procedure with Point “B”.
For full credit…
1. For EACH point, draw the incident and reflected ray from TWO different positions.
2. Remember to use SOLID rays for the incident and reflected rays and “dashed” lines to locate the
image.
3. Draw NORMALS with a protractor at each reflection point.
4. Label ALL angles of incidence and reflection.
5. Draw the vertices of the Virtual Image & then draw the virtual image of the Banana.
MIRROR
A
B
Part III – Procedure
Place two mirrors as shown at 90o formed between them. Locate the virtual image(s) of the black dot.
There are “3” virtual images formed PLUS the object which = 4 dots!
2. By looking any direction, find the NUMBER OF IMAGES formed when the mirrors are placed at 90o
and enter in the chart below.
3. Now place the mirrors so that there is 72o between them. Locate the # of images formed.
4. Repeat the procedure for each of the angles in the chart below.
5. For small angles, it may be very difficult to locate the images so you’ll have to “see” the pattern!
(Hint… The pattern includes the number of images formed, including the object!)
Angle
Number of
between
Virtual Images
Mirrors
formed
(in degrees)
+ object
1.
90
3 + 1 = 4
72
60
45
40
36
30
15
10
1
0
Lab Analysis
1. What rule can you make about the θ i and the θ r for ANY surface?
_____ 2.
_____ 3.
_____ 4.
5.
When drawing and locating images in mirrors, we use (dotted, solid) lines for
the normal.
When drawing and locating images in mirrors, we use (dotted, solid) lines
“behind” the mirror.
When drawing and locating images in mirrors, we use (dotted, solid) lines for
light rays in front of the mirror.
Fill in the chart below for Plane Mirror Images…
Image type [real or virtual]
Image orientation [erect or inverted]
Image size [same, larger, smaller]
Image distance from mirror surface?
Does the image formed EXACTLY
match the object? Why or why not?