Aira Joy C.

Rafer X – ABSTINENCE
SCIENCE REFLECTION

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall: What Are You?

Learning Physics has been a bit tricky and confusing for me since then. However, this
quarter guided me step-by-step on grasping the lessons that I encountered. Throughout this
course, I have learned about the nature of light, light reflection, the reflection of light in a plane
mirror, reflection of light in a curled (Convex) mirror, and the reflection of light in a curved
(Concave) mirror, in addition to an understanding about the mirror equation. I used to be
completely baffled by these ideas. They were also challenging for me to comprehend. However,
these topics were explicitly explained to us by our teacher. I've gained a greater understanding
of these difficult concepts and ideas that I can use to better understand the world around us.

Light is a transverse, electromagnetic wave that can be seen by the average human.
Diffraction and interference experiments were used to demonstrate light's wave-like nature at
the time. The very first topic that was tackled during the second quarter was Nature of Light.
We were asked about our own definition of light. Some of us answered that light is something
that makes vision possible, while others said it emphasizes features through highlights and
shadow and it brings depth. After our exchange of answers, I realized that there isn't a single
answer to the question "What is light?" because the light is experienced, explored, and taken
advantage of, in so many different ways. Physical properties of light interest physicists, while
visual beauty fascinates artists. Light serves as a primary means of perceiving and connecting
in the world. Initiating the life-sustaining process of photosynthesis, solar radiation warms the
Earth and influences global weather patterns. Light's interactions with the matter have had a
profound impact on the structure of the universe at the largest scale.

With this scientific knowledge, the Reflection of Light was discussed. It occurs when a
light ray passes through a material and returns to its original path. Despite the fact that light is a
wave, it is depicted as a straight line in a light ray model. A light ray is reflected every time it
crosses a boundary between two objects. The incident ray and the outgoing ray, which is also
known as the reflected ray, are the two rays involved in reflection. Reflection is a constant in
light. Specular reflection and diffuse reflection are the two types of light reflection. I also learned
the Laws of Reflection. Whereas the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

As the Law of Reflection was discussed, the concepts of reflection of light in a

plane mirror and spherical mirror was introduced to us. I learned that the properties of
images produced by Plane Mirrors are different from Spherical mirrors. I about the
properties of Images produced by Plane Mirrors are: image obtained is always erect and virtual,
image size and the size of the object, both are equal; distance between the image obtained is
the distance at which the object is placed, and lastly laterally inverted images are obtained. On
the other hand, curved mirror is also known as a spherical mirror. As the name implies, the
spherical mirror is made to reflect light in all directions. A mirror image on the outside is convex,
while a mirror image on the inside is concave. Spherical mirrors have a center of curvature,
which is defined by the sphere's radius, as well as a central axis (the center point of the sphere).

Learning about plane and spherical mirrors were amazing and fun. I realized the uses of
mirrors in my everyday life. Just like when I pluck my eyebrows, I often use a magnifying mirror
because it allows me to see my face in greater detail. Most household mirrors are flat (plane),
but this mirror is different because it is concave and bulges inwards. It enlarges the image by
concentrating all of the light beams on a single point.

After our teacher introduced us to the concept of plane and spherical mirrors, we then
focused on the idea of the reflection of light in a concave and convex mirror. It was
interesting to learn about the different components, as well as how an image is formed. I was
stunned when I found out that it is possible to create both real and virtual images in concave
mirrors, as well as it can be upright or inverted, and can behind the mirror or in front of it; they
can also be enlarged, reduced, or the same size as the object. For convex mirrors, no matter
where they are placed, the image they produce is the same. Convex mirrors always produce
images that are upright, virtual, reduced in size, and located behind the mirror. Learning about
these concepts in this quarter was fascinating. After I learned these, I happily shared them with
my family. I was glad that I get to explain how these things work. For example, I can predict the
orientation type and magnification of images formed in a plane mirror, a convex mirror, or a
concave mirror by using my knowledge from these lessons.

The last lesson that we discussed was the Mirror Equation. It was a little confusing to
me because it involves math. In this lesson, I learned that the mirror equation quantifies the
relationship between the object distance (do), the image distance (di), and the focal length (f).
Together with the mirror equation, we also learned about the magnification equation. The
magnification equation relates the ratio of the image distance and object distance to the ratio of
the image height (hi) and object height (ho). If the object distance, object height, and focal
length are known, these two equations can be combined to yield information about the image
distance and image height. I also learned about the sign conventions for concave and convex
mirrors. This lesson has a lot of mathematical equations but it was indeed interesting when you
learned how to solve them. As you go through this chapter, you’ll realize how fun and
fascinating it is to learn about Optics.

After a long journey in Optics, I earned a lot of knowledge that will help me in my
everyday life. One way in which science impacts my everyday life is the use of mirrors – which
we can spend hours a day in front of. Mirrors can be used for a variety of purposes, including
helping us apply makeup, wash our faces, and try on clothes. I sometimes use a magnifying
mirror to pluck my eyebrows so that I can see my face in all its glory. Reflectors have had a
significant impact on human life, from medical equipment to automobiles. Mirrors can be used to
send long-distance signals to overhead aircraft (up to tens of miles). As being the most common
use – looking into the mirror – can reveal something about our psychology, but ultimately show
us a reflection of ourselves. Every home needs a mirror. In our day-to-day routines, they come
in handy, but we don't take the time to appreciate how much. From the time we wake up in the
morning until the time we prepare to go to sleep, we almost always look in the mirror. We can
see our appearance, our clothing size, and other details in reflections in mirrors. We are
surrounded by mirrors every day without even realizing it.