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Science
Quarter 2 – Module 5:
Uses of Mirrors & Lenses
In Optical Devices

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

 Lesson
Uses of Plane Mirrors in
1 Optical Devices

What I Need to Know

Mirrors and lenses both have the ability to reflect or refract light. This property
has put mirrors and lenses in use for centuries. As of 2010, mirrors and lenses are
so prevalent that most people use them every day, regardless of whether or not they
consciously perceive the use. There are standard and innovative uses for mirrors.

After going through this lesson, you are expected to:

1.Identify ways in which the properties of plane mirrors determine their uses in
optical instruments.

Lesson 1: What I Know

With the following questions below, allow your curiosity to open up and
answer the questions as thoroughly as you can. Use your stored knowledge to answer
the questions.

Choose the letter which corresponds to your correct answer.

1. What happens to the image produced by a pinhole camera when you

move the back wall farther from the pinhole? It becomes

A. larger and brighter.

B. larger and fainter.
C. smaller and brighter.
D. smaller and fainter.

2. The shortest mirror in which a creature from outer space can see its entire
body is _________________________.

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 What’s In

Imagine yourself as a curious little scientist. Have that drive to push new
limits and keep yourself excited about the world around you. Usually, in science, the
real answer is usually far from obvious. When we are curious, we ask ourselves “why
did this happen?” or “why isn’t this the result I expected?”. As human beings,
curiosity is one of the greatest strengths we have.

In this lesson, you will learn how plane mirrors are used in devices utilized by
scientists and even ordinary people like you.

You will have a broader understanding on how plane mirrors are widely used
in our day to day living and how they play a significant role in technology.

What’s New

Optical Devices

Optical instruments are the devices that process light wave to improve an
image for clearer viewing. Using an optical instrument like a magnifying lens or other
complex device like microscope or telescope usually makes things bigger and allows
us to see in a more detailed manner. Using converging lenses makes things look
bigger and on the other hand, diverging lenses always gets smaller images for you.

The first optical instruments were telescopes which were used to magnify
distant images, and microscopes used for magnifying very small images. These
instruments have been greatly improved since the days of Galileo and Van
Leeuwenhoek, and have been extended into other portions of the electromagnetic
spectrum.

Plane Mirrors

A mirror with a flat surface is a plane mirror. An "ordinary" mirror without a

curve inside and out. These mirrors can be found almost anywhere – from bathrooms
to hallways to exteriors of buildings – and knowing how they reflect light can make
complex mirror variants significantly easier to understand.

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 The images that a plane mirror reflects are known as "virtual images" – but
they are different from the simulated digital images that you can see on your
computer screen or in a game on your phone. The difference between a real versus
virtual image is that a real image is formed when light converges at a point – like
looking at an apple on your desk – a virtual image is formed from two divergent rays
of light which never meet. To simplify, a plane mirror creates an image of an object
you cannot touch. This way, all mirrors create virtual images, but plane mirrors
reflect light differently than concave or convex mirrors do.

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plane-mirror.png

Reflections from the plane mirror create upright virtual images with the same
magnification or size and distance as the objects they reflect. That is why you can
use a plane mirror to decide precisely where there is something behind you.

What is It

Application of Plane Mirrors

Where are plane mirrors used?
1. Elevator Mirrors

Elevators are one of the greatest products of technology, because going up 25

flights of stairs sounds tiring and time-consuming. If you thought that the creators
of elevators were only concerned with the engineering part of it, you're definitely
wrong. Installed mirrors are strategically placed for a great reason.

Turns out, back in the day, when elevators were relatively new, people stood
in them, staring into nothingness with an exaggerated sense of time because they
had nothing else to do. All they could think of was their very natural fear of falling

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from an elevator suspended mid-air with nothing but cables. So, mirrors were
installed in order to distract people and give them something to look at while they
waited. The mirrors also gave the usually small space of an elevator a sense of depth,
thereby reducing the feeling of claustrophobia that one might feel in such an enclosed
space.

Image Source: https://www.storypick.com/elevators-mirrors-quora/

2. Periscope

A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an

object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an
observer's current position.

A simple periscope consists of an outer case with mirrors at each end set
parallel to each other at a 45° angle. Periscopes allow a submarine, when submerged
at a relatively shallow depth, to search visually for nearby targets and threats on the
surface of the water and in the air.

Image Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/these-brands-are-proving-how-

effective-periscope-can-be

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3. Kaleidoscope

A kaleidoscope is a toy that uses light and mirrors to reflect objects and create
beautiful, fascinating repeating patterns. There are many different types of
kaleidoscopes that create different patterns, but all use the same basic laws of
physics, manipulating light and reflection.

When looking through the hole, light filters through the glass (or clear plastic)
on the end of the object chamber and illuminates the objects, which then reflect off
of all of the mirrors. The reflections bounce off of one another as the light passes
through the tube. The eye sees these bouncing reflections, creating the patters. As
the kaleidoscope rotates, the objects shift in the chamber, and the reflection changes,
creating new patterns. The concept is simple, but creates a wonderful end result that
delights and entertains.

Image source: https://babbledabbledo.com/mini-diy-kaleidoscopes-open-ended/

What’s More

Activity 1.1 The Kaleidoscope (1)

Task: Construct a kaleidoscope. If you ever looked through a kaleidoscope, you
would surely say it's beautiful. The sunlight bounces off the glass with colors and is
reflected in the mirrors to create beautiful patterns which you can see if you look
inside.
Note: Cutting your own mirror maybe not possible at your home. You can use
three mirrors available in your home with identical shape and size. If there is none,
you may borrow from your teachers since there may be available mirrors of identical
sizes cut into strips in your science laboratory. If there are available glass dealers in
your nearby area, you may request them to do the cutting of the mirrors for you to
have your own kaleidoscope.

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 paper that it would read correctly when you place it in front of a
mirror.
ENJOY!!!!!!!!
Video Title: Lateral Inversion: Why is ‘Ambulance’ written in reverse
Channel: It’s AumSum Time
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjlYKvQo-kI

Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjlYKvQo-kI

Based on the video you have watched or based on the activity you have
performed, explain in your own words, why the word ‘Ambulance’ is written in
reverse in this emergency vehicle?

Lesson 1: Assessment

Now after learning about plane mirrors, answer the following questions based
on what you have learned from this lesson.

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. The dispersion of light when it passes through a prism shows that

A. all colors in the light are treated the same.

B. the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant.

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 ACTIVITY SHEET

Name:_________________________________ Grade and Section:_______________________

Sketch the device/model constructed:

What concepts did you learn in the construction of the device? Explain

Lesson
Uses of Curved Mirrors in
2 Optical Devices

What I Need to Know

Now that you already understand what optical devices are and how plane
mirrors are used in these devices, it’s now time to learn something new. Aside from
plane mirrors, we also have another classification of mirrors known as the curved
mirrors (spherical mirrors). There is also a wide array of optical devices using the
curved mirrors. Let us explore more with the succeeding items.

After going through this lesson, you are expected to:

1.Identify ways in which the properties of curved mirrors determine their uses in
optical instruments.

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 Lesson 2: What I Know

Match the items in Column A and B.

Column A Column B

1 Solar Cooker

2 Dental Mirror

3 Concave Mirror

4 Convex Mirror

5 Projector

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 What’s In

In this lesson, you will learn how curved mirrors are used in devices utilized
by scientists and even ordinary people like you.

You will have a broader understanding on how curved mirrors are widely used
in our day to day living and how they play a significant role in technology.

What’s New

Concave and Convex Mirrors

In contrast to plane mirrors, convex and concave mirrors curve the rays of
light that hit them. This results in the virtual images produced by their reflections
coming out distorted, as the light rays move towards or away from the center of the
mirror. For this reason, convex and concave mirrors aren't useful in bathrooms, but
they can be helpful in the right situation; for example, because plane mirrors can't
produce useful images at certain angles, the mirrors on the side of a car are convex.
They allow drivers to see behind and to the sides of their vehicle, though these virtual
images aren't at the same distance as the objects they reflect. This is why car mirrors
have messages reminding drivers that objects in the mirror may be closer than they
appear in the reflection.
Convex mirrors curve outwardly. Light rays diverge as they reflect off the
curve of this mirror; when the rays converge again, the viewer sees an image. Convex
mirror images are upright and appear farther away than they really are.

Image Source: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/images/48-convex-mirror

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 Concave mirrors curve inwardly. Light rays diverge off the curve of this
mirror. The image may be upside down if the object is too far away. When the object
is close to the mirror, it appears right side up and magnified. (2)

Image Source: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/images/47-concave-mirror

What is It

Application of Curved Mirrors

Where are curved mirrors used?
1. Side Mirrors (Motorcycle or Car)
One of the most important safety devices on your vehicle is its set of mirrors.
It might be considered the simplest but it plays a great role in ensuring your safety
on the road. A side mirror, also known as the wing mirror, is a mirror placed on the
outside of motor vehicles to help the driver see areas behind and to the sides of the
vehicle, outside the driver's peripheral view known as the "blind spot”.

Image Source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/side-mirror

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 Image Source: https://www.wowwoodys.com/side-mirror-safety-options/

2. Dental Mirror
Concave mirrors are the most common dental instruments used in a dentist’s
office, and most patients will agree that they are less scary compared to other
equipment such as forceps and drills. They are part of diagnostic instruments in
dentistry. The concave mirror is sometimes referred to as the mouth mirror. The
head of the mirror is usually round and can be in different sizes depending on the
diameter of the mirror.
The mirror is made of a handle and head. The head is made of specified sizes
depending on the manufactures but what is likely to change is the head, which
depends on the requirement. Concave mirrors magnify images such that when the
object is at a distance from the mirror, it forms an inverted image and as the object
gets closer to the mirror it forms an image that is magnified.
Some of the mirror’s handles are metal, while others are made of a
combination of metal and resin or metal with silicon padding. Others are made of
resin only. Dentists that are concerned about the weight of the mirror prefer a
lightweight mirror made of a resin handle with handgrips that are silicon padded.
Most mirrors are made of round surfaces. The mirror number shows the
relative diameter of the mirror. Most dentists prefer size four or five mirrors, but a
small-sized mirror with a number three diameter is important in case of mirror size
issues. Mirrors that are double-sided help dentists enhance visualization, improve
light reflection and are ergonomically beneficial since they have a unique bend in the
mirror stem. Today dentists’ mirrors are more than a shiny surface as
manufacturers have come up with all kinds of mirrors that give dentists an enhanced
view of the inside of the patient’s mouth. (3)

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 http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/152446894748-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
3. Solar Cooker
A solar cooker can do almost anything a stove or an oven can do, only it uses
a natural nonpolluting, free, abundant energy source. In this article, we'll find out
how sunlight becomes heat, check out the different types of cookers available and
how they work, see what makes solar cooking a potential lifesaver in many parts of
the world and examine some of its shortcomings.
At its simplest, the sunlight-to-heat conversion occurs when photons
(particles of light) moving around within light waves interact with molecules moving
around in a substance. The electromagnetic rays emitted by the sun have a lot of
energy in them. When they strike matter, whether solid or liquid, all of this energy
causes the molecules in that matter to vibrate. They get excited and start jumping
around. This activity generates heat. Solar cookers use a couple of different methods
to harness this heat. (4)

Image Source: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-

science/solar-cooking1.htm

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 Lesson
Uses of Lenses in Optical
3 Devices

What I Need to Know

You encounter lenses every day. Whether it’s the lens on your cell phone
camera, the lenses on the eyeglasses or contact lenses you use to see clearly,
magnifying glasses, microscopes, telescopes or something else entirely, the physics
of lenses explains how a simple piece of glass can be used to magnify, minimize or
bring images into focus for any purpose.

Essentially, lenses work by bending light rays that pass through them through
refraction, but this basic point can be implemented in different ways that varies
according to the lens type. Luckily, the basics of such lenses are easy to understand
when you learn a little more about how they work. (6)

After going through this lesson, you are expected to:

1.Identify ways in which the properties of lenses determine their uses in optical
instruments.

What I Know

True or False. Identify each statement as true or false based on the underlined
word/s.

_______1. When light interacts with objects several times as large as its wavelength,
It travels in straight lines and act as a ray.
_______2. A focal point is a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge.
_______3. The optical axis is the line of asymmetry for the lens.
_______4. A biconvex lens is a simple optical lens with one convex side.
_______5. A magnifying glass is a convex lens.
_______6. Simple microscopes use two or more lenses in a row to magnify objects for
viewing.
_______7. A wide-angle lens is a type of lens with a very small focal length that
dramatically increases the field view.
_______8. Lenses work by bending light rays that pass through them through
refraction.
_______9. The depth of field describes the range of distances at which objects are in
focus when viewed through a lens.
_______10. The mirror in a microscope is convex, so it focuses the light to a real image
on the same side of the mirror as the object.

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 What’s In

In this lesson, you will learn how lenses are used in devices utilized by
scientists and even ordinary people like you.

You will have a broader understanding on how lenses are widely used in our day to
day living and how they play a significant role in technology.

What’s New

Lenses
A lens is a piece of transparent material that is shaped so as to cause light
rays to bend in a specific way as they pass through it, whether that means making
the rays converge to a specific point or to diverge as if from a specific point. The
material used could be a piece of glass or plastic, and the shape of the lens
determines whether it causes light rays to converge or diverge. The word “lens” comes
from the Latin word for “lentil,” due to the similarity in shape between a converging
lens and the legume.

The actual bending of light rays produced by a lens occurs because the lens
material has a different index of refraction than the surrounding air. This behavior
is described by Snell’s law for refraction, which relates the different in angle between
the incident and refracted light ray to the indices of refraction for the two materials.

In short, the law says that if you’re going from a lower refractive index
substance to a higher one (e.g., from air to glass), the light ray is deflected towards
the “normal” to the surface (i.e., towards the direction perpendicular to the surface
at that point) and that the opposite is true for light rays going from a higher refractive
index material to a lower one. (6)

Terms in Optics
There are quite a few unique terms used in optics and understanding these is
crucial if you’re studying the physics of lenses.

• Focal point is the point where parallel rays converge when after passing
through a lens.

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 • Focal length of a lens is the distance from its center to the focal point.
• Optical axis is the line of symmetry for the lens.
• Light ray is an approximation of the path of light, where straight lines
are used to represent the motion of light waves.
• Biconvex lens is a simple optical lens with two convex

What is It

Where are lenses used?

1. Magnifying Lens
A magnifying glass is a convex lens. Convex means curved outward, like the
underside of a spoon or the dome of a sports stadium. It is the opposite of concave,
or curved inward. A lens is something that allows light rays to pass through it and
bends, or refracts, them as they do so. A magnifying glass uses a convex lens because
these lenses cause light rays to converge, or come together.

Image Source:
https://thesocialclasslens.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/magnifying-glass-2.jpg

A magnifying glass, in effect, tricks your eyes into seeing what isn't there. Light
rays from the object enter the glass in parallel but are refracted by the lens so that
they converge as they exit, and create a "virtual image" on the retina of your eye. This
image appears to be larger than the object itself because of simple geometry: Your
eyes trace the light rays back in straight lines to the virtual image, which is farther
from your eyes than the object is and thus appears bigger. (7)

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 Image Source: https://sciencing.com/magnifying-glasses-work-4567139.html

The magnifying lens is a critical aspect of modern technology. Without it, you
would not be able to take advantage of cameras, watch movies on a screen or use
gadgets such as the night-vision goggles that are vital in certain military operations.
Going back to the early 17th century, Galileo assembled the first astronomical
telescope, and discovered previously unknown features of Earth's moon and nearby
planets, and also revealed that Jupiter has multiple moons of its own. (7)
2. Camera
A camera lens is one of the most familiar types of lenses you encounter on a
daily basis, and these come in many different types, although they all share the same
basic principles of operation outlined previously. (8)

Image Source: https://sciencing.com/lens-physics-definition-types-how-they-work-

13722365.html

The aperture, which lets light into the inside of the camera, corresponds to
the pupil. The system of lenses in a camera performs the same function as the lens
of the eye. However, whereas the lens of the eye changes shape to change focus, glass
lenses are not very forgiving of shape changes. Instead, the lens system can be slid

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along its optical axis in order to focus on the film. Of course, the film plays the role
of the retina. In addition, cameras have a shutter, which opens and closes quickly
so that the film does not get inundated with light. This produces a more or less clear
image of the instant that the photographer shoots. (9)

Image Source: https://sciencing.com/lens-physics-definition-types-how-they-work-

13722365.html

A prime lens is a basic lens with a fixed focal length, and a zoom lens has a
variable focal length, so you don’t have to physically change your location to get
something in focus. A wide-angle lens is a type of lens with a very small focal length
that dramatically increases the field of view, and a fisheye lens is essentially an
extreme version of a wide-angle lens. (8)
3. Eyeglass or Contact Lens
Other common types of lenses are eyeglasses lenses or the contact lens, and
both of these works to correct the problems with your vision. If you’re “nearsighted,”
this means your eye lenses create images in front of the light-sensitive retina in your
eye, and so you need diverging (concave) lenses to move the image further back.
If you’re “farsighted,” the lenses in your eyes would produce an image further
back than your retinas, so you need converging lenses to correct this issue.
Both contact lenses and eyeglasses correct this in the same way – by adding
an additional corrective lens to make the effective focal length of your eye match the
distance to your retina – but there are differences because contact lenses sit directly
on your eyes. In a contact lens, the lens doesn’t need to cover as much space (it only
needs to be big enough for your pupil at its maximum dilation) and can achieve this
with less material. For eyeglasses lenses, the lens needs to cover a much larger area
and is thicker as a result. (8)
4. Microscope
Microscopes work by using biconvex lenses (lenses with two convex sides) to
produce a magnified version of the images. Microscopes are a little more complicated
(because they usually have multiple lenses), but they produce magnified images in
basically the same way. As on microscopes, these have another lens in the eyepiece
to make sure the captured light is in focus when it reaches your eye. The other major
type of telescope is a reflector telescope, which uses mirrors instead of lenses to

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gather the light and send it to your eye. The mirror is concave, so it focuses the light
to a real image on the same side of the mirror as the object. (8)

Image Source:
https://sciencing.com/difference-glass-compound-light-microscope-8611655.html

A simple microscope uses a single lens, so magnifying glasses are simple

microscopes. Stereoscopic or dissecting microscopes usually are simple microscopes
as well. Stereoscopic microscopes use two oculars or eyepieces, one for each eye, to
allow binocular vision and provide a three-dimensional view of the object.
Stereoscopic microscopes may have different lighting options as well, allowing the
object to be lit from above, below or both. Magnifying glasses and stereoscopic
microscopes can be used to view details on opaque objects like rocks, insects or
plants.
Compound microscopes use two or more lenses in a row to magnify objects
for viewing. In general, compound microscopes require that the specimen to be
viewed is thin enough or transparent enough that light can pass through. These
microscopes provide high magnification, but the view is two-dimensional. (10)

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5. Binoculars
Binoculars and telescopes are the next best thing. They take you up to the
action without having to move a muscle. Binoculars are based on the science of
optics and some pretty clever tricks that lenses pull on light. (11)

Image Source: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/binoculars.html

You can probably see where we're heading. If you want to see something in
the distance, you can use two convex lenses, placed one in front of the other. The
first lens catches light rays from the distant object and makes a focused image a
short distance behind the lens. This lens is called the objective, because it's nearest
to the object you're looking at. The second lens picks up that image and magnifies it,
just like a magnifying glass magnifies an image on paper. If you put the two lenses
in a closed tube, hey presto, you have a telescope. (There's quite a good
demonstration on this page at Birdwatching.com.) You can make your own telescope
easily enough with a couple of magnifying glasses and a cardboard tube wrapped
around them.
Binoculars are simply two telescopes side by side, one for each eye. But there's
a catch. When light rays from a distant object pass through a convex lens, they cross
over. That's why distant things sometimes look upside down if you look at them
through a magnifying glass. The second lens doesn't sort out that problem. So,
binoculars have a pair of prisms (large wedges of glass) inside them to rotate the
image through 180 degrees. One prism rotates the image through 90 degrees (flips it
onto its side), then the next prism rotates it through another 90 degrees (flips it onto
its side again), so the two prisms effectively turn it upside down. The prisms can
either be arranged in a back-to-back arrangement (known as roof prisms) or at 90
degrees (known as Porro prisms).

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 The prisms explain why binoculars are heavy and why they are sometimes
quite chunky in the middle. Field glasses, which are compact binoculars like the
ones shown in the photo here, flip the incoming images using only lenses. There are
no prisms, so field glasses are smaller, lighter and more compact—but the image
quality is poorer. (11)

What’s More

Activity 3.1 Making Improvised Camera

Task: Construct a pin hole camera and explain the factors that affect the image on
the screen.

Materials:
1. Illustration board or cardboard
2. Black cartolina, cutting mat
3. Pin or sewing needle, glue or sticky tape
4. Cutter, scissors, ruler, flashlight or lamp

Procedure:
1. Using the materials given, design and construct an improvised camera based on
the information gathered from different resources.
2. A record sheet is provided as your guide for accomplishing the written report on
your constructed camera.
Reference Video: Pinhole Camera by ThinkTac

Source: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jbjolpz2BQ

What I Have Learned (Lesson Summary)

1. What is a lens?
2. How are images formed with lenses?
3. What are the devices where lenses are used?

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 POST-TEST: Assessment

1. A ray of light passing through the focal point at an angle to the optic axis of a

A. through the focal point.

B. parallel to the optic axis.
C. in the horizontal direction.
D. through the center of the sphere.

2. What happens to the image produced by a pinhole camera when you move the
back wall farther from the pinhole? It becomes…
A. larger and fainter.
B. larger and brighter.
C. smaller and brighter.
D. smaller and fainter.

3. The shortest mirror in which a creature from outer space can see its entire body
is _________________________.

A. twice as its height

B. equal to its height
C. one half of its height
D. four times as its height

4. A ray reflected from a retro-reflector

A. has an angle of reflection equal to the angle of incidence.

B. passes through the focal point.
C. forms a right angle with an incident ray.
D. travels in the direction opposite that of the incident ray.

5. A ray of light parallel to the optic axis of a concave mirror is reflected back

A. through the center of the sphere.

B. through the focal point.
C. parallel to the optic axis.
D. as if it came from the focal point.

6. The back surfaces of automobile headlights are curved

A. because inverted, real images of filaments shine brighter.

B. to concentrate light in one direction.

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C. for structural reasons not related to optics.
D. to get multiple images of the filament.

7. The dispersion of light when it passes through a prism shows that

A. the prism contains many narrow, equally spaced slits.

B. all colors in the light are treated the same.
C. different colors have different indices of refraction.
D. the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant.

8. A human eye employs a _____ lens to form _____ images.

A. converging .... real

B. converging .... virtual
C. diverging .... real
D. diverging .... virtual

9. A camera employs a _____ lens to form _____ images.

A. converging .... real

B. converging .... virtual
C. diverging .... real
D. diverging .... virtual

10. A converging lens is used to form a sharp image of a candle. If the lower half of
the lens is covered by a piece of paper, the

A. lower half of the image will disappear.

B. upper half of the image will disappear.
C. image will become dimmer.
D. image will not change.

11. In most cameras the location of the image is adjusted to appear on the film by
changing the

A. position of the lens.

B. diameter of the diaphragm.
C. shape of the lens.
D. focal length of the lens.

12.What kind of mirror is used by department stores to give a wider area and smaller
image of the shoppers?
A. Plane mirror
B. Convex mirror
C. Concave mirror
D. None of the above

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13. If you wish to have a magnified image of your face for applying makeup or
shaving, the mirror you will use must be:
A. Convex mirror
B. Concave mirror
C. Plane mirror
D. any of these

14. Farsightedness is corrected by a:

A. convex mirror
B. convex lens
C. concave mirror
D. Concave lens

15. A person views his image in front of a mirror. His image appeared to be real,
inverted and larger than him. What kind of mirror did he used?
A. Plane Mirror B. Convex mirror C. Concave Mirror D. Magic Mirror

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