Reflection And Mirror Research Paper

Reflection and Mirrors: Problem Set Overview
This set of 26 problems targets your ability to use the law of reflection, to understanding the relationship between image distance and object distance for plane mirrors, and to use the mirror equation and magnification ratio to solve problems which relate object and image characteristics to the focal length of concave and convex mirrors. Problems range in difficulty from the very easy and straight-forward to the very difficult and complex. The more difficult problems are color-coded as blue problems.

The Law of Reflection
Light rays follow a rather predictable pattern when it comes to reflection off a plane mirror surface. The angle at which the light ray approaches the mirror surface is equal

The variable di represents the image distance or the distance between the mirror surface and the image. The variable f stands for the focal length of the mirror. In some problems, the focal length is not stated; rather, the radius of curvature of the spherical mirror is stated. The radius of curvature (R) is simply twice the focal length value (R = 2•f). Like any equation in physics, the mirror equation can be used to solve for an unknown variable through algebraic substitution and rearrangement. Given that there are three quantities present in the mirror equation, two of them must be known in order to solve for the third unknown quantity.

A curved mirror usually causes an image to be either magnified or reduced in size relative to the size of the object. The magnification ratio is a number which expresses the amount of magnification or reduction. The magnification ratio is simply the ratio of the image size to the object size. It is often calculated using the equation

M = hi /

While not every effective problem solver employs the same approach, they all have habits which they share in common. These habits are described briefly here. An effective problem-solver...

...reads the problem carefully and develops a mental picture of the physical situation. If needed, they sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help visualize it.
...identifies and records the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. Equates given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., do = 24.2 cm; di= 16.8 cm; f = ???.
...plots a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity; the strategy will typically center around the use of physics equations be heavily dependent upon an understanding of physics principles.
...identifies the appropriate formula(s) to use, often times writing them down. Where needed, they perform the needed conversion of quantities into the proper unit.
...performs substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown