In the previous lesson, you have learned about electromagnetic spectrum.

You
gained an understanding of the different electromagnetic waves and their applications of
the different regions, effects of it on living things and the environment.
This time, you will learn and predict the qualitative characteristics (location,
orientation, size and type) of images formed by plane and curved mirrors.
Among all the human senses, sight is thought to be one of the most important.
Almost all of our activities are dependent on our ability to see. Visible light makes all these
possible, because no one can see anything without it.
You can see a lot of things because of the light that bounces off them. What you see
when you look at an object depends on how its surface reflects light. What can you see
when you look at a mirror, or a polished metal or a still water in a pool? You can see your
image. Why? But when you look at other objects such as book or a wooden table, you see
only the object itself. These phenomena are caused by the way light is reflected.

REFLECTION
Reflection is the bouncing back light rays when it strikes a surface. Reflection of
light is either specular/regular (mirror-like) or diffused/irregular (retaining the energy but
losing the image).

TYPES OF REFLECTION

1. SPECULAR/ REGULAR REFLECTION

Specular/Regular Reflection
It happens when light rays strike a very
smooth polished surface in which light rays are
reflected in one direction with regular pattern.

➢ the resulting image is sharply defined.

➢ enables us to see image in a mirror.

Figure 1A Figure 1B

Figure 1 shows specular reflection. (A) Parallel light rays reflect in one direction. (B)
A mountain and its reflection on calm water.

1
2. DIFFUSED/ IRREGULAR REFLECTION

Diffuse Reflection
It happens when light rays strike a
rough-textured or uneven surface in which light
rays are reflected in different directions.

➢ no image is seen or is not clear.

➢ enables us to see things under shaded

area.

Figure 2A Figure 2B

Figure 2 shows diffused reflection. (A) Parallel light rays reflect in different
directions. (B) A mountain and its reflection on uneven surface of wavy water.

LAW OF REFLECTION

Light is known to behave in a very predictable manner. If a ray of light could be

observed approaching and reflecting off a flat mirror, then the behavior of the light as it
reflects would follow a predictable law known as the law of reflection.

Here are some important terms which

you need to understand first.

► A ray of light approaching the mirror

is the incident ray
► A ray of light that leaves off the mirror
is known as the reflected ray
► At the point of incidence where the ray
strikes the mirror, a line can be drawn
perpendicular to the surface of the
mirror. This is known as the normal line
►The angle between the incident ray
and the normal line is known as the angle
of incidence ( θi )
►The angle between the reflected ray
and the normal line is known as the angle Figure 3: Law of Reflection
of reflection ( θr )

The law of reflection states that when a ray of light reflects off a surface, the angle of
incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

2
 MIRROR
A mirror is a surface capable of reflecting sufficient undiffused light to
form image of an object place in front of it or a highly polished surface which can
be able to produce image, usually made of a polished metal or glass that has
been coated with metallic substances. It may be either flat or curve.

1. Plane Mirror & The Image’s Characteristics It Formed

Plane mirror is a mirror with flat reflecting surface backed with a polished and
smooth surface. The image formed by the plane mirror exhibit different characteristics.

● The image has the same distance with the

object. For plane mirror, notice that the image
is as far behind the mirror as the object is in
front of the mirror.
● The image formed by a plane mirror is
always virtual. Virtual image is an image that
is formed in locations where light does not
actually reach.
● The image is upright or erect, this means
that when you stand on your feet in front of
plane mirror, the image does not stand on its
head. There is no up-down vertical reversal.
● In plane mirror the object and the image has
the same size. If a person stands 1.5 m in
front of a plane mirror, he/she will see an
image that is 1.5 m.
A boy standing in front of a plane mirror ● The last characteristic has to do with the
orientation of the image. If you view an image
of yourself in a plane mirror you will quickly
notice that there is an apparent left-right
reversal of the image.

2. Spherical or Curved Mirror

A curved mirror is a mirror a curved reflective surface, most curved mirrors have
surfaces that are shaped like a sphere or its reflecting surface is a section of sphere. It may
be either concave or convex.

Concave Mirror (converging mirror) Convex Mirror (diverging mirror)

Has a reflecting surface that bulges inward Is a curved mirror in which the reflective
or away from the light source. surfaces bulge toward the light source.
Concave mirror reflects light Convex mirror reflects light
inward to one focal point. outward therefore they
They are used to focus are not used to focus light.
light.
It shows different images Uses:
type depending on the ➢ side-mirror of the
distance between the object & mirror. vehicle; it provide wider field
of view.
Uses: ➢ used as security mirror in some
➢ used to enlarge image (dentist’s mirror, establishments like grocery & supermarket; in
women’s beauty kit) automated teller machine.
➢ it is used as light reflector (spotlight,
headlight, flashlight)

3
 It is called Converging Mirror because the parallel incident rays converge or
meet/intersect at a focal point (F) after reflection. While, it is called Diverging Mirror
because the parallel incident rays diverge after reflection. When extending the reflected
rays behind the mirror, the reflected rays converge at the focus (F’) behind the mirror.

Parts of the Curved Mirror

● Principal Axis – the horizontal line passing through the center of the mirror extending to
the principal focus (F) and center of the curvature (C or 2F).
● Center of the curvature – point in the center of the sphere in which the mirror is a part and
is denoted by capital C. Its location from the mirror is twice of F that’s why it is sometimes
represented by 2F.

4
● Principal Focus/ Focal point (F) – point where all the light rays meet. Its location from the
mirror is half of the center of the curvature (2F).
● Focal length (f) – is the distance from the mirror to the principal focus.
● Vertex (V) – point on the mirror’s surface where the principal axis meets the mirror.

IMAGE FORMATION BY SPHERICAL MIRROR

Images formed are qualitatively described according to its location, orientation, size
and type.

Location – images may fall at points identified along the principal axis such as behind the
center of curvature (behind C) at the center of curvature C (at C), between C and F (bet
C&F), at the focus F (at F), between F and V (bet F&V), and behind the mirror.

Orientation – images may be inverted or upright.

Size – the relative size of the image compared to the object may be smaller (reduced),
bigger (enlarged), or same size.

Type – image formed by spherical mirrors is either a virtual image or a real image.

Virtual image – is always upright and appears behind the mirror.

Real image – is always inverted and appears in front of the mirror.

A. IMAGE FORMATION BY CONCAVE MIRROR

The type of image formed by a concave mirror depends on the position of the object
in front of the mirror. By changing the position of the object from the concave mirror,
different types of images can be formed. The images formed can be found by drawing ray
diagrams.

When the object is placed at infinity

The image is: (size of a dot)
Location: found at F
Orientation: inverted
Size: highly reduced
Type: real image

When the object is placed beyond C

The image is: (inverted arrow)
Location: found bet C & F
Orientation: inverted
Size: smaller than the object (reduced)
Type: real image

5
When the object is placed at C
The image is: (inverted arrow)
Location: found also at C
Orientation: inverted
Size: same size as the object
Type: real image

When the object is placed between C & F

The image is: (inverted arrow)
Location: found beyond C
Orientation: inverted
Size: larger than the object (enlarged)
Type: real image

When the object is placed at F

The image is: (not visible in the diagram)
Location: at infinity
Orientation: inverted
Size: highly enlarged
Type: real image

When the object is placed at F & the mirror

The image is: (bigger arrow)
Location: found behind the mirror
Orientation: upright
Size: larger than the object (enlarged)
Type: virtual image

B. IMAGE FORMATION BY CONVEX MIRROR

The image formed by convex mirror does not depend on the position of the object in
front of the convex mirror. Regardless of the position of the object in front of the convex
mirror the image will always be found behind the mirror, upright, smaller than the object
(reduced), and virtual.

Object at Infinity Object near the mirror