Light incident normally on a plane mirror attached to a galvanometer coil retraces backwards as shown in Fig. 9.36. A current in the coil produces a deflection of 3.5° of the mirror. What is the displacement of the reflected spot of light on a screen placed 1.5 m away?
Light incident normally on a plane mirror attached to a galvanometer coil retraces backwards as shown in Fig. 9.36. A current in the coil produces a deflection of 3.5° of the mirror. What is the displacement of the reflected spot of light on a screen placed 1.5 m away?

Answer –

According to the question –

 Angle of deflection is θ = 3.5°

The distance of the screen from the mirror is D = 1.5 m

The deflection undergone by the reflected rays are twice the angle of deflection, so –

2θ = 7.0°

The displacement (d) of the reflected spot of light is determined in the following manner –

$\tan 2\Theta =\frac{d}{1.5}$

Therefore, we have –

d = 1.5 x tan7= 0.184 m

d = 18.4 cm

Hence, 18.4 cm is the displacement of the refracted spot of light.