Multiple Reflections

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In this activity, learners explore how mirrors reflect light and change the way we see things. Learners examine reflections of the letter "R", adjusting a pair of hinged mirrors until they see exactly one complete reflection of the "R" in each mirror. Learners repeat moving the mirrors, increasing the number of reflected R's by one each time, until they see seven reflections. By collecting data about the angle between the mirrors, learners can develop a formula that relates the number of reflections observed to the angle between the mirrors. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 11 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • 1 set of hinged mirrors
  • 1 protractor
  • Copy of The Pirate Handout (page 7 of PDF)
  • Copies of STUDENT HANDOUT: Multiple Reflections (pages 4-6 of PDF)
  • Pen/pencil

Keywords

Subjects

  • Mathematics
    • Algebra
    • Data Analysis and Probability
      • Data Analysis
      • Data Collection
      • Data Representation
      • Probability
    • Geometry
      • Plane Geometry
    • Measurement
      • Circles
    • Number and Operations
    • Reasoning and Proof
    • Representation
  • The Nature of Technology
    • The Design Process
      • Problem Solving
  • Physical Sciences
    • Vibration and Waves
      • Light and Optics
    • Light and Optics
      • Lenses and Mirrors
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Gathering Data
      • Formulating Explanations
      • Communicating Results

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves teamwork and communication skills
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), The Optical Society of America (OSA), and The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA), 2005

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation