How Do Flashlights & Car Headlights Utilize Mirrors?
Reflection jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(‘#jsArticleStep1 span.image a:first’).attr(‘href’,’http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5246516/301035_Full.jpg’); }); Angles in a Plane (Courtesy: library.thinkquest.org) Flashlights and cars use mirrors, specifically parabolic mirrors, to reflect backwardly directed light forward in a straight beam. In fact, the backward light is what gives a flashlight or headlight its functionality, since forward light disperses. Flashlight mirrors use the property that incoming light is reflected at the same angle. The incident and reflected ray have the same angle to the normal. Parabolic mirrors jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(‘#jsArticleStep1 span.image a:first’).attr(‘href’,’http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5246516/301043_Full.jpg’); }); Parabolic Mirror (Credit: Library.Thinkquest.org) There exists a shape with the property that light at the shape’s focus, if reflected off the shape, would become parallel. Th
