Question

A red ball is placed at point A in $FIGUREP34.44$.

a. How many images are seen by an observer at point O?

b. What are the $(x,y)$coordinates of each image?

Short answer

(a) The three images are seen by an observer at point O.

(b) The coordinates of images are$(1.0m,-2.0m)$,$(-1.0m,2.0m)$and$(1.0m,2.0m)$.

Step-by-step solution

Part(a) Step 1: Given information

We have been given that a red ball is placed at point A in$FIGUREP34.44$.

We need to find the number of images seen by an observer at point O.

Part(a) Step 2: Simplify

In the figure given below, we can observe that the observer at point O can see three images.

Image $I_1$is formed by the reflection by mirror $1$and image $I_2$is formed by the reflection from mirror $2$.

But the image $I_3$is formed by the reflection by two mirrors, first the ray is reflected by mirror $1$and then reflected by mirror $2$.

Part(b) Step 1: Given information

We have been given that a red ball is placed at a point A in $FIGUREP34.44$.

We need to find the$(x,y)$coordinates of each image seen by an observer at point O.

Part(b) Step 2: Simplify

By labelling the image drawn in Part(a),

We can observe that the image $I_1$of a ball is at $(1.0m,-2.0m)$in mirror $1$(Green rays).

The image $I_2$of a ball is at $(-1.0m,2.0m)$in mirror $2$(Red rays).

The image $I_3$of $I_1$in mirror $2$or we can say, the image of $I_2$in mirror $1$is at $(1.0m,2.0m)$depicted by black rays.