I'm trying to draw a ray diagram (the image & mirror are already printed I just need to draw the rays) for a plane mirror. I understand the rules for the most part but I am confused about what angle I should be drawing the first ray from the tip of the arrow to the mirror & the ray from the end of the arrow to the mirror.
Thanks a bunch :)
just google
optics plane mirror
and select "images" and you will find lots of ray diagrams
Well that's the thing, I know what it looks like & they even went step by step in the lesson. I know that my reflected ray has to have the same angle to normal as my incident ray but I don't understand how I'm supposed to know what angle my incident ray is supposed to be at.
Thanks again! :)
I found a tutorial on youtube, he says just to do it to any point on the mirror unless otherwise specified. So I think I'm good :)
Thanks a bunch!
To draw a ray diagram for a plane mirror, you need to follow a few guidelines. Let me explain how you can determine the angles for the rays you mentioned.
1. Start by drawing the plane mirror as a straight line on your paper.
2. Draw an arrow (your object) above the mirror on the same perpendicular line, indicating the direction the arrow is pointing.
3. To draw the incident ray (the ray coming from the object towards the mirror), draw a straight line from the tip of the arrow to the mirror. This line should make an angle of 90 degrees (perpendicular) with the mirror surface.
Now, for the reflected ray (the ray that bounces off the mirror), you'll need to follow the law of reflection. According to the law of reflection, the angle of incidence (the incident ray) is equal to the angle of reflection (the reflected ray), and both angles are measured with respect to the normal line (a line perpendicular to the mirror surface) at the point of incidence.
4. Draw a line perpendicular to the mirror surface at the point where the incident ray strikes the mirror. This is the normal line.
5. Measure the angle between the incident ray and the normal line. Let's call this angle "x".
6. To find the angle of reflection, draw a line from the point of incidence (where the incident ray intersects the mirror) perpendicular to the normal line.
7. Measure the angle between the reflected ray and the normal line, which should also be "x".
Repeat steps 3-7 for the other end of the arrow to get the second incident and reflected rays.
Remember, the incident ray, reflected ray, and normal line should all lie in the same plane.
I hope this helps you draw an accurate ray diagram for a plane mirror. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!