Question

Two mirrors A and B are situated at an angle of 90⁰. Tom is looking into mirror A at an angle of 50⁰ to the normal.What is the angle of incidence with mirror B?

Answer 1

Answer:

1. According to the law of reflection, the angle of reflection that the reflected ray makes as measured from the normal to the mirror A equals the angle of incident ray makes as measured from the normal, hence, the angle of reflection of mirror A is of theta_A = 50^o to the normal.

2. The angle of incidence represents the angle between the incident ray and the normal to the surface. Since the reflected image becomes the incident ray for the mirror B and sice the mirror B is perpendicular to the mirror A, the angle of incidence with mirror B is equal to theta = 90^0 - 50^0 = 40^0 .

3. According to the law of reflection, the angle of reflection of mirror B is equal to the angle of incidence, hence theta_B = 40^o