Reflections in a cylindrical mirror are very distorted,
but
they also follow rules that we can decipher. If we start with
a picture that has been distorted in the opposite way, it
can come out right! This is the basis for an old-
fashioned optical toy, which is described in the activity Mirrors
#6 in the manual.
Using a cylindrical mirror
(the rolled-up tube of reflecting mylar you made
earlier), look at the
reflected images that appear
on the surface of the mirror when it is placed on each distorted
picture provided in that activity. Roll the tube tighter and looser
to examine how the diameter of the tube affects the reflection. As
you learn how the distortion works, try to predict what the reflected image
will be before you place the mirror on the pictures.
Use the templates
provided to make your own pictures that appear to be 'correct' when viewed
in the cylinder.
Science content: curved mirrors