Final answer:
The best mirror to use to see down the sides and towards the rear of your trailer is the plane (West Coast) mirrors, as it provides the most accurate representation of distance and size. Convex mirrors are used for their wide field of view but make objects appear further away than they are. Fender mirrors are less common and could be used but are not the optimum choice.
Step-by-step explanation:
To see down the sides and toward the rear of your trailer, the best mirror to use would be the plane (west coast) mirror. Plane mirrors provide a more accurate representation of distance and size compared to convex mirrors which can distort the perception of distance, making objects appear smaller and farther away than they are. Though convex mirrors do provide a wider field of view, for the specific task of seeing down the sides and towards the rear of a trailer with minimal distortion, plane mirrors are more suitable. Fender mirrors could also be used but are not as common. Therefore, while any of the mentioned mirrors could provide some visibility, plane mirrors are the best choice for this task.
A convex mirror is indicated by the phrase "Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear." This type of mirror is used in vehicles because it provides a wider field of view than a flat mirror. However, it comes with the main disadvantage of making objects appear smaller and more distant, which can potentially lead to misjudgment of distances by the driver. An experiment to confirm the shape of a mirror involves observing how it reflects light and images, a convex mirror will diverge light rays, making images appear smaller and distorted.