Reflecting Light

and the title of this lab (HO-26).

Research Task :

Introduction to mirrors

Equipment:

Ray box, Ray-box power supply, Two slits for the ray box, Box of
mirrors and various acrylic pieces, Protractor, Meter stick, News
print paper, Card board square, 2 Colors of push pins, 6 Straight pins

You are probably used to looking into mirrors all the time - whether it's while
you're brushing your teeth or going through a fun house at the local fair. However,
have you ever given mirrors much thought?? Today you will carry out a series of
careful scientific investigations on the interaction between light and mirrors.

Activity 1

^{Describe what you think happens to light when it is incident onto a mirror.}
Can you think of any other "thing" that behaves similarly? If so, write it
down.

1b.

1c.

What is the normaldirection to a surface?

Adjust the ray box to produce one thin beam of light. Place the plane mirror
and light box on a sheet of newsprint. Clearly mark the front edge of the
mirror and its normal. Shine the light onto the mirror and trace the path of
the light on the newsprint. Measure the angle between the surface and the
incident beam of light, between the incident beam of light and the surface
normal, between the reflected beam of light and the surface normal, and
between the reflected beam of light and the surface. Record these angles in a
table in your report file.

Change the incident angle to two other valuesand study the relation between
the angles. Pick incident angles that cover a wide range.

What conclusion can you make about the incident and reflected angle for a
plane mirror?

Replace the plane mirror with a concave mirror. Repeat the experiment (at
least three measurements). Be sure to answer all the questions for this new
case.