REFLECTION IN CONCAVE MIRROR

Objective:
To study the reflection in concave mirror by obtaining different image
positions.

Materials Required:
A concave mirror, a mirror holder, a semi transparent screen fixed to a
stand and a small candle with stand.

Theory:
1. Reflection:
Whenever light, travelling in one medium, comes in contact with
surface of another medium, a part of it is returned into the first
medium. The phenomenon of returning of light into first medium is
known as reflection of light.

2. Concave mirror:
A concave mirror is that spherical mirror in which the reflection of light
takes place at the concave surface i.e. bent-in surface.

3. Pole:
It is the center of the reflecting surface of the concave mirror also
called vertex of mirror, generally denoted by letter ‘P’.

4. Center of curvature:
It is the center of that sphere of which the concave mirror forms a part,
denoted by letter ‘C’.
5. Principal axis:
The straight line passing through the center of curvature and pole of
concave mirror is called its principal axis.
6. Principal focus:
A beam of light incident parallel to the principal axis, after reflection
from the spherical mirror, either actually converges to or appears to
diverge from a fixed point on the principal axis. The fixed point is called
the ‘Principal focus’, denoted by letter 'F'.

7. Laws of Reflection:
1) The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

2) The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal at the point
of incidence, all lie in the same plane.
Procedure:
1. Fix the concave mirror in the mirror holder and place it on edge
of the table.

2. Mount a small candle vertically on a stand. Place it in front of

the concave mirror on the left hand side (i.e. shiny surface) say on focus
'F'.

3. Place the screen such that the lower level of screen must be so
arranged that it remains just above the principal axis of the mirror.

4. Locate a sharp image of candle by adjusting the position of the

screen. Note and record the position and nature of the image formed
on the screen.

5. Repeat the experiment by placing candle at different positions

as mentioned in observation table [Table 1] below.

Observation:
Result:

In the three cases described above - the case of the object being
located beyond C, the case of the object being located at C, and the
case of the object being located between C and F - light rays are
converging to a point after reflecting off the mirror. In such cases, a real
image is formed.

Precautions:
1. uprights should be vertical.
2. The principal axis of the mirror should be perpendicular while the
central line of the optical bench should be parallel.

Sources Of Error:
1. Vertical uprights might not be used.
2. The removal of parallax might not be perfect.