Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A ray falls on a plane mirror at an angle of incidence of . The incident ray stays fixed, and the mirror is turned by toward it, about the point of incidence. By how much does the reflected ray turn?
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, both measured from the normal. A plane mirror gives a virtual, upright image of the same size, as far behind the mirror as the object is in front, with left and right swapped.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Before. The angle between the incident and reflected rays is .
Step 2. After. The normal turns by , so , and the angle between the rays is .
Step 3. The turn. The incident ray did not move, so the reflected ray turned by .
Answer: : twice the turn of the mirror.
Why is this useful? A tiny turn of a mirror swings a reflected spot of light a long way. Some measuring meters use this.
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