At a department store, you adjust the mirrors in the dressing room so that they are parallel and 6.2 ft apart. You stand 1.8 ft from one mirror and face it. You see an infinite number of reflections of your front and back.(a) How far from you is the first “front” image? ft (b) How far from you is the first “back” image? ft
Question
Answer:
a) 3.6 ft
b) 12.4 ft
Explanation:
Distance between mirrors = 6.2 ft
difference from from the mirror you face = 1.8 ft
a) you stand 1.8 ft in front of the mirror you face.
According to plane mirror rules, the image formed is the same distance inside the mirror surface as the distance of the object (you) from the mirror surface. From this,
your distance from your first “front” image = 1.8 ft + 1.8 ft = 3.6 ft
b) The mirror behind you is 6.2 – 1.8 = 4.4 ft behind you.
the back mirror will be reflected 3.6 + 4.4 = 8 ft into the front mirror,
the first image of your back will be 4.4 ft into the back mirror,
therefore your distance from your first “back” image = 8 + 4.4 = 12.4 ft