diff --git a/js/common/GeometricOpticsConstants.ts b/js/common/GeometricOpticsConstants.ts
index e0920621..ed33a3c3 100644
--- a/js/common/GeometricOpticsConstants.ts
+++ b/js/common/GeometricOpticsConstants.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
  * @author Chris Malley (PixelZoom, Inc.)
  */
 
-import Vector2 from '../../../dot/js/Vector2.js';
 import PhetFont from '../../../scenery-phet/js/PhetFont.js';
 import geometricOptics from '../geometricOptics.js';
 import NumberControl from '../../../scenery-phet/js/NumberControl.js';
@@ -32,8 +31,6 @@ const GeometricOpticsConstants = {
   // model
   HORIZONTAL_RULER_LENGTH: 260, // cm
   VERTICAL_RULER_LENGTH: 160, // cm
-  HORIZONTAL_RULER_INITIAL_POSITION: new Vector2( 200, 100 ), // cm
-  VERTICAL_RULER_INITIAL_POSITION: new Vector2( 100, 300 ), // cm
 
   // view
   RULER_HEIGHT: 40, // in view coordinates
diff --git a/js/common/model/GeometricOpticsModel.ts b/js/common/model/GeometricOpticsModel.ts
index 3940de71..2311e130 100644
--- a/js/common/model/GeometricOpticsModel.ts
+++ b/js/common/model/GeometricOpticsModel.ts
@@ -128,13 +128,11 @@ class GeometricOpticsModel {
 
     this.horizontalRuler = new GeometricOpticsRuler( {
       orientation: 'horizontal',
-      position: GeometricOpticsConstants.HORIZONTAL_RULER_INITIAL_POSITION,
       length: GeometricOpticsConstants.HORIZONTAL_RULER_LENGTH
     } );
 
     this.verticalRuler = new GeometricOpticsRuler( {
       orientation: 'vertical',
-      position: GeometricOpticsConstants.VERTICAL_RULER_INITIAL_POSITION,
       length: GeometricOpticsConstants.VERTICAL_RULER_LENGTH
     } );
   }
diff --git a/js/common/model/GeometricOpticsRuler.ts b/js/common/model/GeometricOpticsRuler.ts
index c5a82a8e..3fc57627 100644
--- a/js/common/model/GeometricOpticsRuler.ts
+++ b/js/common/model/GeometricOpticsRuler.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ class GeometricOpticsRuler {
   private readonly orientation: RulerOrientation;
   readonly isVertical: boolean;
 
-  // position of the ruler, in view coordinates
-  //TODO change this to model coordinates
+  // position of the ruler, in view coordinates!
   readonly positionProperty: Property<Vector2>;
 
   // length of the ruler, in cm
@@ -41,7 +40,6 @@ class GeometricOpticsRuler {
 
     options = merge( {
       orientation: 'horizontal',
-      position: Vector2.ZERO,
       length: 100
     }, options );
 
@@ -50,7 +48,9 @@ class GeometricOpticsRuler {
     this.orientation = options.orientation;
     this.isVertical = ( this.orientation === 'vertical' );
 
-    this.positionProperty = new Vector2Property( options.position );
+    // The initial value of position really does not matter, because position will be set when the ruler is
+    // removed from the toolbox.
+    this.positionProperty = new Vector2Property( Vector2.ZERO );
 
     this.length = options.length;
     this.nominalLength = options.length;
diff --git a/js/common/view/GeometricOpticsRulerNode.ts b/js/common/view/GeometricOpticsRulerNode.ts
index 8b60c266..ece0b773 100644
--- a/js/common/view/GeometricOpticsRulerNode.ts
+++ b/js/common/view/GeometricOpticsRulerNode.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ class GeometricOpticsRulerNode extends Node {
     } );
 
     // Drag bounds for the ruler, to keep some part of the ruler inside the visible bounds of the ScreenView.
+    // rulerDragBoundsProperty can be in view coordinates because ruler.positionProperty is in view coordinates.
     const rulerDragBoundsProperty = new DerivedProperty<Bounds2>(
       [ visibleBoundsProperty ],
       ( visibleBounds: Bounds2 ) => {