A person stands 3.0 metres in front of a flat plane mirror. What is the distance between the person and their virtual image?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. 6.0 metres

  1. Step 1: In a plane mirror, the virtual image forms at an equal distance behind the mirror as the object is in front: d_image = 3.0 m behind. Step 2. Distance between object and image = d_object + d_image = 3.0 m + 3.0 m = 6.0 m. Answer: 6.0 metres. Why not the others: 3.0 m is the distance from the person to the mirror, not to the image.

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