Images in Plane Mirrors

Why does the writing on the hood of police cars and ambulances appear backwards?

Using Light Rays to Locate an Image When looking at an image in a mirror, the image appears to be behind the mirror The image seen is a virtual image Using Light Rays to Locate an Image

VIRTUAL IMAGE – an image in which light rays do not actually arrive at or come from the image location the image is “NOT REAL” It cannot be projected

Using Equal Perpendicular Lines to Locate an Image 2 observations about an object and its image in a plane mirror: The distance from the object to the mirror is exactly the same as the distance from the image to the mirror. The object-image line is perpendicular to the mirror surface. Using Equal Perpendicular Lines to Locate an Image

Looking into a Plane Mirror Images in a plane mirror are upright, but reversed horizontally = Looking into a Plane Mirror

When describing the properties of an image, 4 characteristics are examined: ize (same, smaller, or larger) ttitude (upright or inverted) ocation (distance from mirror [in front/behind]) ype (real or virtual) S A L T S.A.L.T.

Characteristics (“SALT”) for an image in a plane mirror: S – same size A – upright L – same distance as object behind mirror T - virtual

Page 493 #1-6,9 Homework: