

Sol: We’ll use a diagram given below to answer the question:Ī. Find the angle made by the incident and reflected rays. Find the angle made by the reflected ray and the surface.ĭ. A ray of light strikes a reflective plane surface at an angle of 42 o with the surface.Ĭ. Images formed by a plane mirror are of “same shape and size” as that of an object.

Images formed by a plane mirror are “Erect/Upright”.Ĭ. Images formed by a plane mirror are “Always Virtual”.ī. Characteristics of Images formed by Plane MirrorĪ. Learn more about the Laws of Reflection of Light in detail. In doing so, we find that the image A’B’ being formed is virtual, erect and of the same shape and size as the object AB thereby giving us the characteristics of images formed by the plane mirror. Now, to get a complete image of the object AB, we join point A and B to point A’ and B’ by a dotted line. Similarly, a virtual image of point B will be formed behind the mirror as B’ from the incident rays BO and BE. Therefore A’ is the virtual image of point A of the object AB. Now, since reflected rays PA and OC are diverging and therefore cannot meet each other in front of the mirror, hence we extend these rays PA and OC behind the mirror by dotted lines. On extending these rays behind the mirror, we see that these rays meet at point A’ at a distance V’. Another ray OC falls on the mirror MM’ at a point O and is reflected along the path OC. This incident ray AP is reflected back in the same path PA. Let us suppose an object AB of size ‘h’ on the left-hand side of the mirror at a distance ‘u’.Īn incident ray of light AP from point A of the object AB falls on the mirror MM’ at point P. Let us take a mirror MM’ as shown in the diagram given above. (Source: Wikipedia) Image Formation by a Plane Mirror Here the rays of light which are reflected from a smooth and shiny object such as a mirror, are reflected at a definitive angle and each incident ray which is reflected along with the reflected ray has the same angle to the normal as the incident ray. Thus, this type of phenomena causes the formation of an image.

Specular/Regular reflection is a mirror-like reflection of rays of light.
