Mammoth Memory

Using flat mirrors ray diagram rules

How do we draw the ray diagram for a flat mirror, an object and an observer using flat mirror ray diagram rules? See below:

Observer looking at an object in a mirror

The first stage is to draw an image on the other side of the mirror perpendicular (at 90°) to the mirror.

Behind the mirror
Equal distance
The same size

1st stage of drawing a ray diagram of an observer looking at an object in a mirror

      `do` `=` `di`
  Object distance `=` Image distance

You should end up with the following diagram:

Ray diagram following the 1st stage

The second stage is to draw rays from the eye to the top of the image and bottom of the image as follows:

2nd stage of drawing a ray diagram of an observer looking at an object in a mirror

The third stage is to join the light rays from the mirror to the object.

3rd stage of drawing a ray diagram of an observer looking at an object in a mirror

Notice how the image is.

SAME SIZE AS THE OBJECT

UPRIGHT

VIRTUAL (can not be shown on a screen)

AS FAR BEHIND THE MIRROR AS THE OBJECT IS IN FRONT.

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