2. Complete Activity 11.2 (Page 125). Place a lighted candle in front of a plane mirror. Try to see the flame of the candle in the mirror. It appears as if a similar candle is placed behind the mirror. Now move the candle to different positions in front of the mirror. Observe the image in each case. Was the image upright in each case? Did the flame appear on top of the candle as in the object? Now place a vertical screen behind the mirror. Can you get the image on the screen? Now place the screen in front of the mirror. Can you get the image on the screen now?
Answer: The activity can be carried out as follows:
Aim: To compare the image of the candle in the plane mirror with the candle itself (object) and make the necessary conclusions. Also, to examine whether the image of the candle can be obtained on a vertical screen kept in various positions.
Materials Required: Lighted candle, plane mirror, white paper, cardboard sheet.
Procedure:
(i) Place the lighted candle in front of the plane mirror. Handle the lighted candle with care under adult supervision.
(ii) Move the candle to different positions in front of the mirror and examine the image of the candle in each case. Note your observations.
(iii) Now prepare the vertical screen by pasting a piece of white paper on a cardboard sheet (about 15 cm × 10 cm).
(iv) Place the vertical screen behind and the mirror and in front of the mirror. Observe if you can obtain the image of the candle on the screen.
Observations: You will observe:
- No matter the position of the candle (object) in front of the mirror, the image was upright with the flame on top of the candle in each case.
- Also the image was the same size as the object in each case.
- No image could be obtained on the vertical screen when it was placed in front of the mirror and also behind it.
Conclusions: We conclude that:
- The image formed by a plane mirror is erect and of the same size as that of the object.
- The image formed by a plane mirror cannot be obtained on a screen and so a plane mirror only forms a virtual image.
“Place a lighted candle in front of a plane mirror. Try to see the flame of the candle in the mirror. It appears as if a similar candle is placed behind the mirror. Now move the candle to different positions in front of the mirror. Observe the image in each case. Was the image upright in each case? Did the flame appear on top of the candle as in the object? Now place a vertical screen behind the mirror. Can you get the image on the screen? Now place the screen in front of the mirror. Can you get the image on the screen now?” – Solved.
Related Links:
Solution to Extended Learning Problem 1
Solution to Extended Learning Problem 2
Solution to Extended Learning Problem 3
Solution to Extended Learning Problem 4
Solution to Extended Learning Problem 5
Solution to Extended Learning Problem 6
Solution to Activity 11.1
Solution to Activity 11.2
Solution to Activity 11.3
Solution to Activity 11.4
Solution to Activity 11.5
Solution to Activity 11.6
Solution to Activity 11.7
Solution to Activity 11.8
Solution to Activity 11.9
Solution to Activity 11.10
Solution to Activity 11.11
Solution to Activity 11.12
