Reflection on Spherical Mirrors

A curved mirror is a reflecting surface in which its surface is a section of sphere. There are two kinds of curved
mirrors, the concave and the convex mirrors. A spoon is a kind of a curved mirror with both concave and convex
surfaces like what you.
Two Kinds of Spherical Mirrors:
1. The Concave Mirror
• It curves inward.
• It is called Converging Mirror because the parallel incident rays converge or meet/intersect at
a focal point after reflection.
2. The Convex Mirror
• It curves outward.
• It is called Diverging Mirror because the parallel incident rays diverge after reflection.
When extending the reflected rays behind the mirror, the rays converge at the focus behind the mirror
Concave mirror
Center of Curvature (C) – the center of the sphere of which the
Focal point mirror is part.
Center of curvature Focal length Radius of curvature (r)-Its distance from the mirror to the center
vertex of curvature.
Focal point (F) – the point between the center of the curvature
and vertex
Principal axis radius of curvature Focal length (f) – Its distance from the mirror to the focal point.
Vertex – the center of the mirror
Principal axis – straight horizontal line passing through pole and
. center of curvature.
The ‘Four Principal Rays’ in Curved Mirrors
Images formed in a curved mirror can be located and described through ray diagramming. The 1) P – F ray, 2) F – P
ray, 3) C – C ray, and 4) the V ray.

Incident ray

Object
A Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal
axis on the way to the mirror will pass through the
focal point upon reflection.

reflected ray

Incident ray

A
Any incident ray passing through the focal point on
the way to the mirror will travel parallel to the
principal axis upon reflection.

reflected ray

Incident ray A ray of light passing through center of curvature

A reflects back along its own path.

reflected ray