Reflection

Today was a day of reflection - HAH!

B and C Blocks took up the topic of curved mirrors and image formation. We looked at how both mirror types create images, contrasted real and virtual images, worked with the mirror equation and the two magnification formulas and discussed the construction of ray diagrams. Remember that I won't ask you to draw a ray diagram for a virtual image on a test, but I will ask you to do one for a real image and use the appropriate formulas for any type of image formation. Tomorrow, C Block works on their light intensity and polarization lab and B Block moves on to color and polarization.

E and F Blocks talked about reflection and image formation by plane mirrors. We contrasted specular and diffuse reflection and showed how the law of reflection accounted for both reflection types. We then turned attention to plane mirrors and how/why the formed their particular type of image. Remember that plane mirrors form virtual, upright images the same size and distance from the mirror as the object. Tomorrow, we'll complicate things by taking up the challenge of curved mirrors.