Mirror Physics Help: Walking Towards a Mirror at 7 m/s

[peaceandlove]

Homework Statement

If you are walking towards a mirror at 7 m/s, how fast are you and your image approaching each other? Answer in m/s.

Homework Equations

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The Attempt at a Solution

I'm not sure how to solve this mathmatically but when I first looked at this question, I just automatically thought that the answer should be 7 m/s. Why or why not is that correct?

 

[Chewy0087]

Say you're 100m away from the mirror, in the image, how far away from the mirror (THROUGH) the mirror will your image be? use the mirror as a central point and then draw where you and your image are.

 

[tomcue]

As a scientist, it is important to approach problems with a logical and analytical mindset. In this case, we can use the principles of mirror physics to determine the correct answer.

When an object moves towards a mirror, its image also moves towards the mirror at the same speed. This is because the image is a reflection of the object, and therefore, any motion of the object will be mirrored by the image.

In this scenario, the object (person) is moving towards the mirror at a speed of 7 m/s. This means that the image is also moving towards the mirror at a speed of 7 m/s. Therefore, the correct answer is indeed 7 m/s.

To further support this answer, we can also use the equation v = d/t, where v is the velocity, d is the distance, and t is the time. In this case, the distance between the object and its image is decreasing at a rate of 7 m/s, so the velocity of approach is also 7 m/s.

In conclusion, the correct answer is 7 m/s, as both the object and its image are approaching the mirror at the same speed. It is important to use scientific principles and equations to arrive at a logical and accurate answer.