You slowly back away from a plane mirror at a speed of 0.10 m/s

In summary, the distance between an object and a plane mirror affects the size of the image, with the image appearing smaller as the distance increases. The image will always be present, but may become too small to see with the naked eye. The speed at which one moves does not affect the image, and the image appears to be the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front due to parallel reflected and incident rays. Slowly backing away at a constant speed is not a reliable method for determining the exact distance between the object and the mirror.
  • #1
jlmessick88
32
0

Homework Statement


You slowly back away from a plane mirror at a speed of 0.10 m/s
With what speed does your image appear to be moving away from you?
 
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  • #2
Relative to the plane of the mirror, you move away at a speed of 0.1 m/s and your image moves away at a speed of 0.1 m/s.

Relative to you, the image is backing away at a speed of 0.2 m/s (=0.1 + 0.1)
I believe my thinking is correct??
 
  • #3
Correct

(you can't just say yes because the reply must be 4 characters!)
 

1. How does the distance affect the image in a plane mirror?

The image in a plane mirror will appear to get smaller as you move further away from it. This is because the distance between the object and the mirror is increasing, causing the reflected rays to spread out more and make the image appear smaller.

2. Will the image ever disappear as you move away from the mirror?

No, the image will always be present as long as there is an object in front of the mirror. However, the image may become too small to see with the naked eye as you move further away.

3. Does the speed at which you move affect the image in a plane mirror?

No, the speed at which you move away from the mirror does not affect the image itself. The only factor that affects the image is the distance between the object and the mirror.

4. Why does the image in a plane mirror appear to be the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front?

The image in a plane mirror appears to be the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front because the reflected rays are parallel to the incident rays. This creates the illusion of the image being located behind the mirror at the same distance as the object in front.

5. Can you determine the exact distance between the object and the mirror by slowly backing away at a constant speed?

No, you cannot determine the exact distance between the object and the mirror by slowly backing away at a constant speed. This is because the speed at which you move does not affect the image, so it is not a reliable method for determining distance. Other methods, such as measuring the actual distance between the object and the mirror, would be more accurate.

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