WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

The Obedient Reflected Ray

​
angle
0.45
height
0.3
show
point X
0.34
Two mirrors are joined at a fixed angle at
O
. A ray of light shines into the angle between them, parallel to the horizontal mirror and at a given height. It bounces a number of times. Suppose it strikes the lower mirror at right angles at
X
and then reemerges along the original path. This is called an obedient ray.
What is the relationship between the distance between the height and the length of
OX
? The answer is given in the Details.