2005 HS Photo Contest Pictures

2005 High School Photo Contest Winners
Sponsored by Vernier Software and Technology
2005 AAPT Summer Meeting , Salt Lake City, UT

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Honorable Mention - Natural Category

Title: Smooth Water
Student: James Kracum
School: New Trier High School, Winnetka, IL
Teacher: Mr. Waechtler

The double image you are looking at is the reflection of a forest over a lake in Wisconsin on a clear fall day. The lake is acting as a plane mirror, creating a virtual image (what you see in the water) of the same size. Since the lake is almost perfectly smooth, this is called specular reflection. The reflection is so smooth because the reflected light rays are parallel to each other. Can’t guess which side is the top? It’s the light side: the small specks on the dark side are actually leaves in the water.