6.3 Giant mirror delights villagersApril 12, 2023

6.3 Giant mirror delights villagersApril 12, 2023

Aims

• Demonstrate and explain the relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection. [Level 5]

• List examples of situations where mirrors can help people to bring light into dark areas. [Level 6]

• Devise an experiment to test whether there is a relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection. [Level 6]

• Draw on results to explain how a set of findings can confirm or disprove a pattern in nature. [Level 7]

Keywords

•Normal

•Angle of incidence

•Angle of reflection

•Laterally inverted

Angle of incidence

• This is the angle at which light arrives at the mirror

Angle of reflection

• This is the angle at which light leaves the mirror

How mirrors work

Why doesn’t paper reflect like a mirror?

6.3 Giant mirror delights villagersQuestions

1. Which of these letters looks the same in a mirror as when written normally? A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J

2. If you have a side parting in your hair, why does it appear to be on the opposite side when viewed in a mirror?

3. If you reflect a word in a mirror and then reflect it in a second mirror, will it still be laterally inverted?

4. If you increase the angle of incidence of a ray by 15°, what does this do to the angle of reflection?

1 of 2

(Level 4)

(Level 5)

(Level 5)

(Level 6)

6.3 Giant mirror delights villagersQuestions

5. If you increase the angle of incidence of a ray by 20°, how does this change the angle between the incident and reflected ray?

6. The Italian villagers in Viganella had mountains on each side of them. They could have put a second mirror on the mountain that shaded them from the sun. Would this have helped as much as the mirror they set up on the opposite mountain?

7. Large mirrors can be placed on the walls of rooms with small windows. How does this help brighten up the rooms compared to having a plain wall?

2 of 2

(Level 7)

(Level 8)

(Level 8)