Geometrical Optics - Light ray angles on a spherical mirror

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 5K views
I_laff
Messages
41
Reaction score
2
upload_2018-11-20_20-41-22.png

I can't see how the textbook produces the following relationships between angles:
$$ \theta = \phi + \alpha \qquad (1)$$
$$ 2\theta = \alpha + \alpha ' \qquad (2)$$

My thinking is that the exterior angle theorem for triangles was used to create expression ##(1)##, but I am unsure as to how expression ##(2)## came about. Was the exterior angle theorem simply used twice to produce both equations?
 

Attachments

  • upload_2018-11-20_20-41-22.png
    upload_2018-11-20_20-41-22.png
    3.9 KB · Views: 907
Physics news on Phys.org
(2) comes about by the exact same theorem as (1).

2θ,α,α′ is the identical setup as θ,α,ϕ - it just makes a stubbier triangle.

angles.png
 

Attachments

  • angles.png
    angles.png
    7.7 KB · Views: 601