A door has a large mirror fastened to its inner side. A single horizontal beam of light shines on to the mirror, near the hinge from inside the room. Show by diagram what will happen to the beam as the door opens.
To understand what happens to the beam of light as the door opens, we need to consider the laws of reflection. According to the law of reflection, the angle of incidence (the angle between the incoming beam of light and the normal to the mirror surface) is equal to the angle of reflection (the angle between the outgoing beam of light and the normal to the mirror surface).
Now, let's analyze the scenario step by step:
1. When the door is closed (at 0 degrees), the beam of light that shines on the mirror is reflected back at the same angle. This means the light beam will bounce off the mirror and continue to travel straight ahead within the room.
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2. As the door begins to open, let's say at an angle of 30 degrees, the beam of light still follows the law of reflection. The angle of incidence from the beam of light to the mirror's surface is 30 degrees, so the angle of reflection is also 30 degrees.
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Beam --->| |
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3. As the door opens further, let's say at an angle of 60 degrees, the beam of light will continue to follow the law of reflection. The angle of incidence is 60 degrees, and the angle of reflection will also be 60 degrees.
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Beam --->| |
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As the door continues to open, the beam of light will reflect off the mirror's surface at the appropriate angle of incidence and angle of reflection. The exact path will depend on the specific angle at which the door is open.
It's important to note that this diagram illustrates the basic concept of how the beam of light will react to the mirror as the door opens. The actual path of the beam may be affected by other factors such as the shape of the mirror, the position of the light source, and any other objects in the room that can cause further reflection or refraction.