Question

Two parallel, vertical, plane mirrors, 38.8 cm apart, face each other. A light source at point P is 30.1 cm from the mirror on the left and 8.7 cm from the mirror on the right.

(a) How many images of point P are formed by the mirrors?
(b) Find the distance from the mirror on the right to the two nearest images behind the mirror.
first nearest image=
second nearest image=
(c) Find the number of reflections of light rays for each of these images.
first nearest image=
second nearest image=

Answer 1

Explanation shown below.

Step-by-step explanation:

1.The number of images formed by 2 parallel mirrors is an infinite number of images.

2. The characteristics of a plane mirror is such that the object distance equals the image distance.

Hence the object distance is 8.7cm from the right; the image formed would be 8.7cm behind the mirror.

Now a second image is going to be formed by the left mirror which is going to have an image distance of 30.1cm behind the mirror.

Now this image would be reflected on the right side to form a new image which is going to be seen as 38.8 +30.1 = 68.9cm behind the right Mirror .

Hence the shortest distances are 8.7cm and 68.9cm

3. The number of reflections is infinite for both cases.