ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Physics => Topic started by: mozart on January 05, 2008, 05:27:09 pm

Title: something about light
Post by: mozart on January 05, 2008, 05:27:09 pm
just a question about light, when it comes off an object to reflect off a mirror, do two rays of light come off out of one section of an object or only one ray. For e.g. an arrow, would thye Pointy end give off two rays or 1 to reflect off the mirrow. Thnxx
Title: Re: something about light
Post by: cara.mel on January 05, 2008, 08:28:19 pm
Tell me if I have interpreted this right.
You are asking whether light does one of these scenarios
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v711/happypuff/arrows1.jpg)

In reality, light comes off in every direction, like this
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v711/happypuff/arrows2.jpg)

The reason why you only see it with one ray usually, is because you are only drawing the rays that are important/useful in determining the image, and whether you can see it or not. This will become more apparent when you move onto concave/convex mirrors
Title: Re: something about light
Post by: mozart on January 05, 2008, 10:29:27 pm
ohhh yer i just started concave mirrors and yer is making sense now thanx