Answers for the Teacher Only

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What Do You Think?

The reflection in a flat mirror has the same proportions as the object. To explain this observation, recall that the reflected image is the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front, and on a line from the object perpendicular to the mirror. A displacement of the object produces an equal displacement of the image, so the proportions are preserved. But in a curved mirror, this proportionality is lost. The ray diagrams on pages 224 and 225 show how curved mirrors reflect a parallel beam of light. Imagine standing close to these mirrors and looking at the reflection of the distant object. Since the reflection is seen along the extension of the reflected light rays, the concave mirror makes the object look larger (in the direction of the curvature) and the convex mirror makes the object look smaller.