PASCO SE-8803 User Manual

Instruction Manual

No. 012-09301A

Discover Reflection Kit

SE-8803

Included Equipment

Plane mirror with stand (15 cm x 15 cm)
Corkboard (22 cm x 28 cm)
Colored pins

Additional Equipment Recommended

Protractor
Ruler or straight edge
Pencil

Discover Reflection Kit 012-09301A

Introduction

The Discover Reflection Kit allows students to derive the Law of Reflection and to determine
the Field of Vision.

To derive the Law of Reflection, students place a pin in front of the mirror. A location
elsewhere in front of the mirror is chosen as the location of the eye. Light rays are drawn from
the pin to the mirror and then to the eye. The process is repeated for several locations of the
eye. For each reflected ray, a perpendicular line is drawn at the surface of the mirror. A
protractor can then be used to prove that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of
reflection.

To determine the Field of Vision, students place a pin in front of the mirror. They move their
eye from left to right to determine the furthest point on each side of the mirror from which the
image of the pin can be seen.

Equipment Setup

1. Place a sheet of paper on the corkboard.

2. Place the mirror on top of the paper as in

the picture to the right.

3. Look at one side of the mirror and locate

the position where the black support
meets the mirror. Place a small dot on the
paper to mark this position. Repeat this
step for the other side of the mirror.

4. Remove the mirror from the paper and

use a ruler to connect the two dots. This
line represents the position of the mirror,
since this is a rear surface mirror.

5. Replace the mirror on this line, such that the mirrored surface lies along it.

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