A person stands 2.0 m away from the reflecting surface of a plane mirror. What are the image characteristics?

To determine the characteristics of an image formed by a plane mirror, we need to consider two important principles:

1. Reflection: Light rays incident on a mirror are reflected according to the law of reflection, which states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

2. Virtual Image: Plane mirrors always form virtual images, which means that the image is formed behind the mirror and cannot be projected onto a screen. These virtual images cannot be captured on a physical surface.

Now, let's use these principles to determine the image characteristics in your specific scenario:

1. Distance from the Mirror: In this case, the person stands 2.0 m away from the reflecting surface of the mirror. Since the image formed by a plane mirror is virtual, the distance to the image is equal to the distance from the object to the mirror. Therefore, the virtual image will also be 2.0 m away from the mirror.

2. Image Orientation: When an object is reflected in a plane mirror, the image appears to be an exact replica of the object. It is laterally inverted, meaning left and right are switched, but the image itself is not flipped upside down.

3. Image Size: The size of the virtual image formed by a plane mirror is the same as the size of the object. There is no magnification or reduction in size.

Based on these principles, the virtual image formed by the plane mirror will be located 2.0 m away from the mirror, laterally inverted, and have the same size as the object.