To solve this problem, we need to understand how light travels and what happens when it hits different objects.
Step 1: Understand how light travels
Light always travels in a straight line. It cannot bend around corners on its own. In the diagram, the "light ray" is shown as a straight arrow moving from left to right.
Step 2: Analyze the obstacle
There is a brick wall between the person (observer) and the flower. Because light travels in straight lines, the light coming from the flower hits the wall and stops. It cannot go through the solid bricks to reach the person's eyes. This creates a shadow area behind the wall where the person cannot see the flower.
Step 3: Determine what is needed
The instructions ask you to draw
two more light rays so that the light can be reflected from the mirror into the observer's eye. This means we need to create a path for the light to bounce off the mirror and reach the person.
Step 4: Draw the first new ray (From Flower to Mirror)
* Start at the
flower.
* Draw a straight line going towards the
mirror.
* The line should hit the mirror at an angle. A good place to aim is somewhere near the middle or lower part of the mirror, depending on where the person is standing. Let's aim for a spot on the mirror that allows the next step to work.
Step 5: Draw the second new ray (From Mirror to Observer)
* Start at the exact point on the mirror where your first ray ended.
* Draw a straight line from that spot on the mirror to the
observer's eye.
* Remember: Light reflects off a mirror like a ball bouncing off a wall. The angle it comes in at is roughly the same as the angle it bounces away at.
Summary of what to draw:
1.
Ray 1: A straight line with an arrow pointing from the
flower to the
mirror.
2.
Ray 2: A straight line with an arrow pointing from the
mirror (where Ray 1 hit) to the
person's eye.
This shows the path: Light leaves the flower $\rightarrow$ hits the mirror $\rightarrow$ bounces to the person's eye. Now the person can see the flower!
Final Answer:
Draw a straight line from the
flower to the
mirror, and then draw another straight line from that same spot on the
mirror to the
observer's eye. Add arrows to show the direction of the light (away from the flower, towards the mirror, and then towards the eye).
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of reflection of light worksheet.
