Image in a plane mirror
What the image is like.
Look in the mirror
Look into a mirror. You see your face in it. This is a reflection of your face.
Where does your image seem to be?
What this lesson covers
The idea
An object in front of a plane mirror forms an image that appears behind the mirror; this image is the same size as the object, erect (upright), and cannot be obtained on a screen.
Look in the mirror
Look into a mirror. You see your face in it. This is a reflection of your face.
Where does your image seem to be?
- Behind the mirror
- On the surface of the mirror
- In front of the mirror
A pen and its image
The pen is the object. Use the buttons to find out about its image.
Three facts
The image of the pen seems to be behind the mirror. It is as big as the pen and upright. No picture forms on a screen behind the mirror.
An object in front of a plane mirror forms an image that appears behind the mirror; this image is the same size as the object, erect (upright), and cannot be obtained on a screen.
- Image in a plane mirror | What it is like
- Where it appears | Behind the mirror
- Size | Same as the object
- Upright or upside down | Erect (upright)
- On a screen | Cannot be obtained
Notes
An object in front of a plane mirror forms an image that appears behind the mirror; this image is the same size as the object, erect (upright), and cannot be obtained on a screen.
Check yourself
The image formed by a plane mirror is …
An erect image is …
Can the image in a plane mirror be obtained on a screen?
Where does the image of an object in front of a plane mirror appear?
- smaller than the object. The image is the same size as the object.
- the same size as the object — correct. Yes! The two are equal in size.
- bigger than the object. The image is the same size as the object.
- very small. Erect is about being upright, not about size.
- upside down. An upside down image is called inverted. Erect means upright.
- upright — correct. Yes! The image in a plane mirror is erect.
- No, it cannot — correct. Yes! It cannot be obtained on a screen.
- Yes, on a screen in front of the mirror. The image cannot be obtained on a screen.
- Yes, on a screen behind the mirror. The image seems to be behind the mirror, but it cannot be caught on a screen.
- In front of the mirror, beside the object. The image appears behind the mirror.
- Behind the mirror — correct. Yes! It seems to be behind the mirror.
- On the object. The image is not on the object.