Reflections in a mirror?

Question

Why is it that, in order to see your entire body in a mirror, the shortest length a mirror can be is half your height?

I've tried drawing it, but this poses a few immediate problems:

#1 - I can't actually draw (stick figures are impossible, ok?)

#2 - I'm confused. I understand that to see your feet, you'd need a light ray that goes to the middle of your reflection..... but then I'm lost.

Help?

Answer 1

This is not the case.  If you place a very small mirror on the floor, you can see your 'entire' body by standing over it.  Of course, the top of your head remains hidden to you in this position.

With two very small mirrors, you can see any point on your body.  There is no minimum size needed to achieve this.

Answer 2

You only need to remember three things:

1.My name is NOT Earl.

2.Gravy should NOT be purple.

3.Paris Hilton has a restraining order against me.

They'll get you through life.

Answer 3

This is true. When you see yourself in a mirror, you are viewing an image of yourself that is an equal distance "behind" the mirror as you are in front of it.

You must have a straght line of sight to your image's head to see the top of your head, and a line of sight to your image's feet to see your feet.

Check this page out.

http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/Ph...

Let us take the example of an image that is exactly your height. As you move closer or further away from the mirror, your image does also in proportion, and the point that your line of sight to your image's feet intersects the mirror stays in the same spot - exactly half way.