Your very own mirror invention!
Classroom Activity
for 11-14
What the Activity is for
This activity provides the opportunity for pupils to apply their knowledge of the law of reflection of light from a plane mirror in an imaginative way.
What to Prepare
- devise a starter support sheet that will get your class off on the right lines, if necessary
What Happens During this Activity
Tell the class that they are going to use their knowledge of the law of reflection of light to invent a device, based on flat mirrors, which no-one else has thought of before. Encourage the class to let their imaginations fly. The device might, for example, be:
- Used to look at boils on the back of your neck.
- Attached to the end of your shoe so that you can see under tables.
- Used to see over high walls around football grounds.
- Set up so that you can watch the TV in the living room from the stairs, without being detected by your parents.
Directions:
Think up an unusual invention that works using flat mirrors. Don't make it too complicated!
Make a careful drawing of your invention, showing each of the mirrors clearly. Draw in a single ray to show how it passes around the mirrors and to your eye.
At each of the mirrors be sure to include the normal line and mark the angles of incidence and reflection.
Although the device itself may not be altogether serious, you should insist that the diagrams are accurately drawn to demonstrate the law of reflection of light.
