Answers to End-of-chapter questions for Chapter 23, Reflection

1. a) 60°

b) 60°

c) 60° (between the original direction of travel and the new direction of travel)

2. two, 45°

3. His image is 2 m behind the mirror and the image of his mouth is 5 cm wide.

His image approaches the mirror at 1 m/s (so relative to him it is moving at 2 m/s).

4. You would see this sign on the front of an ambulance. Drivers ahead of the ambulance can read
the word correctly when using their rear view mirrors.

The letters should be written in reverse order, with the letters P and S laterally inverted.

5. One image is formed by reflection at the front edge of the glass, the other from the back edge of
the glass.

6. Hold the blotting paper in front of a mirror and look at the image of the writing in the mirror.

7. The man (Keith Johnson) is standing with the mid line of his body along the edge of the window.
He is standing on his left leg, holding the door knob (out of sight), and lifting his right leg and arm
into the air. The left half of his body cannot be seen, and the right side of his body is reflected in
the window. The image of his right arm and leg makes it look as if he is also lifting his left arm and
leg to float in mid air.
8. The periscope needs to be attached at about 45° to the horizontal at the top of the bed, with the
lower end fixed at the headboard and the higher end above Fred’s head.
9. An object can only be seen by our eyes if light rays are reflected from the object into our eye. If
objects did not reflect light we would see only luminous objects (like lamps, candles and the Sun)
that give out their own light. Everything else would be black.

10. The mirrors should both be placed on the far side of the main road opposite the side road of the
T-junction. Both mirrors should be at 45° to the T-junction and the reflecting surface of each
mirror should face the oncoming traffic along the main road that the T-junction meets; one in
each direction. Then a driver in the side road can see each way along the main road.

11. See page 182. Make sure that your image is exactly as far behind the mirror as the object is in
front and, for each ray, the angle of incidence should equal the angle of reflection.

12. Use pale coloured wall-paper and furnishings as these reflect more light than dark colours. A
mirror placed on the opposite wall to the window will also reflect light from the window back into
the room.