How tall must a mirror be to show your whole body?
You stand in front of a flat, vertical mirror mounted on a wall and want to see your entire body, from the top of your head to your toes, at the same time.
- What is the shortest mirror that lets you do this?
- Does it help to stand further away from the mirror?
- Where on the wall should the mirror be mounted?
Show a hint
Light from your toes reaches your eyes after bouncing off the mirror at a point where the angle in equals the angle out. Where is that point?
Your answer
Solving needs a free account
Answers, streaks and solutions unlock when you are signed in. Reading the question and the hint stays free.
Discussion
Sign in to join the discussion · reading is open to everyone
💡 Discussion rules
- No full solutions here. Hints and approaches only.
- Complexity, edge cases and intuition are the point.
- Interview experiences are welcome. Respect your NDAs.
Loading discussion…
Learn the concepts
The theory behind this question.
Related questions
The bookworm and the ten volumesDropping needles to estimate piHalving a cake that already has a piece missingThe duck in the pond and the fox on the shoreFour dogs chasing each other from the corners of a square
All questions →