Question

A fish in an aquarium with flat sides looks out at a hungry cat. To the fish, does the distance to the cat appear to be less than the actual distance, the same as the actual distance, or more than the actual distance? Explain.

Answer 1

Answer:

p = -q  

he distance is equal to the current distance, so the distance does not change

Explanation:

For this exercise we can solve it using the equation of the constructor

            1 / f = 1 / p + 1 / q

where f is the focal length, p the distance to the object and q the distance to the image

For a flat surface the radius is at infinity, therefore 1 / f = 0, which implies

          1 / p = - 1 / q

           p = -q

Therefore the distance is equal to the current distance, so the distance does not change