Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017

Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors

Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

1 Introduce
student text pp. 464–470
Bellringer
Reflections Place a variety of objects on a desk and have students observe whether they can see their reflections
from each object. Include some objects that produce spectral reflections, such as a metal can, a flat mirror, and a
spoon. Also include some objects that do not produce spectral reflections, such as cardboard, a clear plastic cup,
and a piece of crumpled aluminum foil. Students will see clear images in the smooth, mirrored surfaces, unclear
images in the nonsmooth, mirrored surfaces, faint images in the shiny, opaque surfaces, and no images in the
rough, opaque surfaces. Ask students whether they think light is reflected off the rougher surfaces and why. BL
Kinesthetic EL

Tie to Prior Knowledge

Angles of Reflection Students have previously learned about the reflection of mechanical waves at a boundary. In
this section, students will apply this concept to determine the angles of reflection of light waves from smooth and
rough surfaces.
Resources
Chapter 17 Visual 1 - Law of Reflection
Chapter 17 Visual 1 - Law of Reflection

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

2 Teach

Reflected Images and The Law of Reflection

student text pp. 464–466

Light Demonstration Students may believe that they are able to see light that is not directed toward their eyes.
Explain to students that when light reflects off a surface, they see only the rays that reflect directly toward their
eyes. Demonstrate this by having students try to observe the beam of light from a laser pointer that you shine
across the room. CAUTION: Warn students never to look directly at a laser beam. If you shine the light toward
an open door, students cannot see the beam. If you shine the light toward a wall, they can see the rays that reflect
off the wall toward their eyes. Sprinkle some chalk or talcum powder in the path of the laser beam so that students
can now see it. Ask them why they can now see the beam. Some of the laser light is reflected off the dust particles
toward their eyes. BL Visual-Spatial EL

Use Models
MAINIDEA Help students model the law of reflection with a ball bouncing off a wall. First, draw a line normal
to the wall. Then draw two other lines that model an incident ray and a reflecting ray—they should be at equal
angles to the normal and touch the same point on the wall. Have a student roll the ball, such as a golf ball, on the
floor along one angled line. The class should notice that the ball bounces along the other angled line, in the same
way that a light ray reflects off a surface. Although the analogy between the reflecting of light and the bouncing
of a ball has some use, make sure that students do not draw too much from this analogy. A light beam and a ball
are made of different “stuff” and different theories explain their behaviors (at least at the level of classical
physics, on which most of this book focuses). BL Kinesthetic Visual-Spatial EL

PHYSICS PROJECT ACTIVITY

Illusions Magicians often use mirrors to create illusions for audiences. Directors of older movies sometimes used
mirrors to produce special effects. Ask students to investigate the ways in which mirrors can be used to create
these effects. Have them work in groups or as individuals to create and perform a skit or trick using a mirror
illusion for the class. Interested students may even try to get pointers by visiting a local magic shop or
interviewing a magician who performs in their area. OL Kinesthetic EL

Concept Development
Silvered Mirrors Most of the reflection from an ordinary mirror occurs at the silver coating on the underside of
the glass. A little light does reflect from the front surface, which sometimes produces a faint image. Front-silvered
or front-surfaced mirrors produce higher-quality images because light reflects directly off the silver coating
without passing through glass. Therefore, they produce only one reflection, which is a major reason for their use.

Content Background
Mirror Coatings The first mirrors, dating back to antiquity, were made of polished metal such as bronze, tin, or
silver. Glass mirrors were introduced in fourteenth-century Venice. By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,
mirrors were made by pressing an amalgam of mercury and tin onto a sheet of glass and later draining off the
excess mercury. The method on which modern mirror coatings are based was developed by German chemist
Justus von Liebig in 1835. A compound of silver and ammonia was poured onto the glass surface. Then, a
reducing agent, such as formaldehyde, was added to reduce the compound to metallic silver. Present-day mirrors
are made by spraying molten aluminum or silver onto plate glass in a vacuum.

ADDITIONAL IN-CLASS EXAMPLE

Use with Example Problem 1.
Problem A light ray strikes a plane mirror at an angle of 15° to the normal. The mirror then rotates 20° around
the point where the beam strikes the mirror so that the ray's angle of incidence increases. The axis of rotation is
perpendicular to the plane of the incident and to the reflected rays. What is the final angle of reflection of the light
ray?

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

Response r, final = 35°

Discussion
Problem Ask students the following questions: A good mirror must be smooth, and it must reflect most of the
light that strikes it, but is this enough? Why doesn’t a smooth, white surface make a good mirror?
Response A typical mirror reflects well because of its silvered backing. Although a white surface reflects well, it
appears white because it is mostly diffuse reflection. It is not as smooth as a silvered surface. OL

Objects and Plane-Mirror Images and Properties of Plane-Mirror Images

student text pp. 468–470
Discussion
Problem Ask students why you can see your reflection if you look out a window at night, but not during the day.
Why is it easier to see outside at night if the inside lights are off?
Response Window glass transmits most light, but some light is reflected. This reflected light is not as visible
during the day because it is much dimmer than the sunlight that is transmitted in from outside. At night, the
reflected light is visible because there is very little light outside. OL

REAL-WORLD PHYSICS
Multiple Plane Mirrors Using information covered in this section, have students study how plane mirrors can be
used in combination to make multiple images. For example, they can study a three-plane mirror in a clothing store
and draw a ray diagram, using ray tracing to determine the location of each image in the three-plane mirror.
Students also can research other uses of combinations of plane mirrors and draw ray diagrams for them. BL
Visual-Spatial EL

Critical Thinking
Reflection Demo Set up two small mirrors about 10 cm apart so that they face each other. Scrape a small hole in

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

the paint on the back of one mirror about one-third of the way down from the top. Place a soda can or other object
halfway between the mirrors. Have students look through the hole and describe the reflections. It appears that
reflections continue to infinity, with the sizes of the images getting smaller. Have students explain this effect. The
first image in each mirror is of the real soda can. The second image in each mirror is a reflection of the first image
of the other mirror. Each of the first images are three times farther away from the opposite mirrors than the real
can, so the second images appear to be three times farther behind the mirrors than the first images. This repeats,
with each image becoming smaller because it appears farther away from and behind the mirror. OL
Visual-Spatial EL

Careers
Optical Engineers Students who enjoy astronomy and do well in optical physics may be interested in a career as
an optical engineer at a space observatory. Optical engineers are responsible for the design, alignment, and
maintenance of optical systems in the telescopes. In addition to understanding mirror and lens systems, optical
engineers must be able to use and maintain the instrumentation that supports the system. Students interested in
this field should obtain at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering or physics. They also should learn as much
mathematics as possible.

Reinforcement
Perspective Demo Be sure students understand that being able to see an image behind a plane mirror is
dependent on the viewer being in a position from which the image is visible. To emphasize this, place a mirror
against a wall in the middle of the classroom. Have one student stand in front of the mirror and another student
stand far to the right of the mirror. Place an object far to left of the mirror so that the first student cannot see the
image of it, but the second student can. Let each student in the class stand at each position to reinforce how
perspective of the viewer affects what can be seen using a mirror. BL Kinesthetic Visual-Spatial EL

Use Figure 7
Ask students how tall a mirror must be so that a person can see his or her entire reflection. To answer this
question, have a student stand in front of a full-length mirror within reaching distance. Have the student point at
his or her head and feet. Point out that the top of the mirror must be at the student’s height and that the bottom of
the mirror can be no more than half the student’s height from the ground. Have students study the angles formed
by the light rays in Figure 7 to study this effect. By applying the law of reflection, they should see that the student
observes a full-sized image in a mirror half of his or her height. BL Visual-Spatial EL

In Position of Mirror Reflection, students will measure the location of an image from a plane mirror.

In A Little Time to Reflect, students will determine the path of a light ray incident to, and reflected from, a flat
mirror. They will compare their measured values of incidence and reflection angles.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Visually Impaired When performing the MiniLab, pair a visually impaired student with another student who can
describe the distances and image properties. Visually impaired students may understand the concept of
plane-mirror images better if you allow them to walk from the position of an object to the plane mirror. Explain to
them that if they could continue walking into the mirror, the image would be the same distance behind the mirror
as the distance they just walked. However, the image would not really be there when they arrived because it is a
virtual image. Kinesthetic

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

In Virtual Image Position, students will use a camera to determine the distance of an image from a plane mirror.
Resources
ForensicsLAB-A Little Time to Reflect-Student-Editable
Laboratory Manual 17.1-Position of Mirror Reflection-Teacher-Editable
ForensicsLAB-A Little Time to Reflect-Teacher-Editable
MiniLAB-Virtual Image Position-Student-Editable
Animation: Law of Reflection
Laboratory Manual 17.1-Position of Mirror Reflection-Student-Editable
MiniLAB-Virtual Image Position-Teacher-Editable
Classroom Presentation Toolkit - Plane Mirrors
Science Notebook - Plane Mirrors
Science Notebook - Plane Mirrors - Teacher
PhysicsLAB-Investigate Properties of Light
PhysicsLAB-Investigate Properties of Light-Teacher

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

Quick DEMO

Reflecting Surfaces
Estimated Time 5 minutes
Materials laser pointer, white marker board, sheet of white paper, plane mirror, laser pointer
Procedure
1. In a dimly lit room, shine the laser pointer directly toward a white board. Some light may reflect along the
board because of scratches and imperfections in the board.
2. CAUTION: Warn students never to look directly at a laser pointer. Lay the paper on a desk next to a wall.
Shine the laser pointer at about a 45° angle toward the paper. Ask students why they see diffuse, reflected light on
the wall. The surface of the paper is rough, and the reflected light is scattered.
3. Lay the mirror on the desk next to a wall. Then, shine the laser pointer at about a 45° angle toward the mirror.
Ask students why they see a dot of light reflected onto the wall. The smooth surface of the mirror reflects the light
in a narrow beam.

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

3 Assess
student text pp. 464–470
Assess the MAINIDEA
Place a flashlight on a table, aimed horizontally. Dim the lights to the room and use a small mirror to demonstrate
that the light spot can be directed at the ceiling by holding the mirror at a 45° angle (from the horizontal
direction). Draw a diagram of the mirror and light path on the board, and ask the students to explain what is
happening. Since the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection (45° in this case), the light is reflected
straight up. Now use the mirror to demonstrate how it can be used to aim the light spot at will.

Check for Understanding

Image Location Demo Ask students whether the point on the surface of a mirror at which light from an object
reflects is the same as the location of the image formed by the reflected light. The image is behind the plane
mirror, not on or in the surface of the mirror. One way to demonstrate this is to have students hold a small mirror
and place their thumbs on the front of the mirror. By applying their thumbs directly to the surface, they can see
clearly that the reflection is behind the surface of the mirror. BL Visual-Spatial EL

Reteach
Mirror Image Flat mirrors do not reverse up and down or left and right, but they do reverse front and back. To
reinforce this, have students take turns standing and facing a mirror. Have the student who is in front of the mirror
point to his or her left. Ask the student if the mirror image is pointing in the same direction as he or she is. yes
Now have the student point to the right. Ask the same question as before. yes Finally, have the student point
straight ahead, that is, in the direction he or she is facing. Ask the question once again. no This demonstrates
straightforwardly what is meant by the statement that mirrors reverse only front and back. Why, then, does it seem
that mirrors reverse left and right? The answer lies in psychology, not physics. Your mirror image looks likes you
would look had you rotated yourself 180°, in which case left and right would be reversed. Have two students face
each other and point to the left. They will point in opposite directions. Mentally you think that your image is like
that person opposite you and is pointing in the reverse direction, when actually it is pointing the same direction.
BL Kinesthetic Visual-Spatial EL
Resources
Section Self-Check-English-Plane Mirrors
Section Quiz-Plane Mirrors-Student-Editable
Section Quiz-Plane Mirrors-Teacher-Editable

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

Answers

PRACTICE PROBLEMS
. Explain why the reflection of light off ground glass changes from diffuse to specular if you spill water on it.

Water fills in the rough areas and makes the surface smoother. The surface normals are then parallel.

. What is the angle of incidence of a light ray reflected off a plane mirror at an angle of 35° to the normal?

35°

. Suppose the angle of incidence of a light ray is 42°.

. What is the angle of reflection?
. What is the angle the incident ray makes with the mirror?
. What is the angle between the incident ray and the reflected ray?

a. 42°
b. 48°
c. 84°

. Light from a laser strikes a plane mirror at an angle of 38° to the normal. If the angle of incidence increases by
13°, what is the new angle of reflection?

51°

. You position two plane mirrors at right angles to each other. A light ray strikes one mirror at an angle of 60° to
the normal and reflects toward the second mirror. What is its angle of reflection off the second mirror?

30°

. CHALLENGE You are asked to design a retroreflector using two mirrors that will reflect a laser beam by 180°
independent of the incident direction of the beam. What should be the angle between the two mirrors?

90°

Caption Check Figure 5 Light from the lamp is reflected from the boy to the mirror. This is diffuse reflection.
The mirror reflects light to the boy’s eye, enabling him to see an image of himself. Reflection from the mirror is
specular reflection.
Describe how the boy is illuminated.
The boy is illuminated by light directly from the lamp and by light reflected from the mirror.

Caption Check Figure 7 Reflected light rays from the candle (two rays are shown) strike the mirror. Some of
those rays reach the viewer’s eye. Sight lines (dashed lines) are drawn from where the rays reflect from the mirror
to where they converge. The image is located where the sight lines converge.
Explain why xi = xo.
In a plane mirror, the position of the image (xi) is the same distance behind the mirror as the object (xo) is in front
of the mirror.

Plane Mirrors
. MAINIDEA A light ray strikes a flat, smooth, reflecting surface at an angle of 80° to the normal. What angle does
the reflected ray make with the surface of the mirror?

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

10°

. Image Properties A dog looks at its image, as shown in Figure 9. What are the image position, height, and type?

x1 = 3 m; h1 = 50 cm; the image is virtual.

. Law of Reflection Explain how the law of reflection applies to diffuse reflection.

The law of reflection applies to individual rays of light. Rough surfaces make the light rays reflect in many
different directions.

. Reflecting Surfaces Categorize each of the following as a specular or a diffuse reflecting surface: paper, polished
metal, window glass, rough metal, plastic milk jug, smooth water surface, and ground glass.

Specular: polished metal, window glass, smooth water. Diffuse: paper, rough metal, plastic milk jug, ground
glass.

. Image Diagram A car is following another car along a straight road. The first car has a rear window tilted at 45°
to the horizontal. Draw a ray diagram showing the position of the Sun that would cause sunlight to reflect into the
eyes of the driver of the second car.

The Sun’s position directly overhead would likely reflect light into the driver’s eyes, according to the law of
reflection.

. Critical Thinking Explain how diffuse reflection of light off an object enables you to see that object from any
angle.

The incoming light reflects off the surface of the object in all directions. This enables you to view the object from
any location.

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 Physics: Principles and Problems © 2017
Chapter 17: Reflection and Mirrors
Section 1: Plane Mirrors September 2023

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