Material Detail

What is it that lets us see objects? If an object does not put out its own light, then it must reflect light in order to be seen. The walls in the room do not put out their own light; they simply reflect light from overhead lights or from window light. Polished metal surfaces reflect light like the silvering on the back of a mirror. When you put an object between two hinged mirrors, light from the object bounces back and forth between the mirrors before it reaches your eves. An image is formed each time the light bounces off a mirror. In this activity you are going to be investigating how the angle between two hinged mirrors determines the number of images you see.

Disciplines:

• Science and Technology  / Physics  / Optics