WINNERS COACHING CENTRE

Class. :8
Subject. : Physics
Chapter : 5

REFLECTIONS OF LIGHT IN SPHERICAL MIRRORS

● Plane mirror

● If the reflecting surface is plane, it is a plane mirror

● This type of mirror is used to view our face.
● The image formed in this mirror is virtual, erect and having the same
size as that of the object

● Spherical Mirrors

● Spherical Mirrors are considered as part of hollow spheres

● if the inside of the mirror is made as reflecting surface it acts as a
concave mirror
● if its outer surface is made as the reflecting surface it acts as a convex
mirror

● Parts of spherical mirrors

1) Pole(P)
The midpoint of the reflecting surface is known as the pole of the
mirror
 2) Principal Axis
The line joining the pole and the centre of curvature is known as the
principal axis of the mirror

3) radius of curvature (R.)

The distance between the pole and the centre of curvature forms the
radius of curvature of the mirror

4) aperture
Aperture is the reflecting surface of a mirror

● Reflection from a spherical mirror

1) Point of incidence
The point on the reflecting surface where the ray is incident

2) normal
The perpendicular line drawn from the point of incidence to the
reflecting surface
 3) angle of incidence
The angle between the incident ray and the normal

4) angle of reflection
The angle between the reflected ray and the normal

● Laws of reflection
1) The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal at the point of
incidence lie on the same plane
2) the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection

● Focus and focal length of spherical Mirrors

1) Principal focus of concave mirror

Rays of light incident on a concave mirror, parallel to the principal

axis, passing through a fixed point on the principal axis after
reflection.
This point the is known as the principal focus of the concave mirror
 2) principal focus of convex mirror

Rays of light incident on a convex mirror, parallel to the principal axis

get reflected. The reflected rays appear to diverge from a point on the
convex mirror.
They converge at a point on the principal axis.
This point is known as the principal focus of convex mirror.

● Differences between the principal focus of concave and convex mirrors

1) Concave mirror :real, infront of the mirror

2) convex mirror: virtual, behind the mirror.

● Focal length(f)
Distance from the pole of a mirror to its principal focus is the focal length
PF = f
The focal length(f) of a spherical mirror is half the radius of curvature(R) of
the mirror.
 f= R/2

● Focal plane

Rays of light coming from infinity making different angles with the principal
axis get focused at a different points.
The plane formed by these points is perpendicular to the principal axis and
passes through the principal focus. This plane is the focal plane.

● Ray diagrams of spherical Mirrors

1) Concave mirror
2) Convex mirror
● Ray diagrams of images formed by spherical mirror
1) Concave mirror
 2) Convex mirror

● Differences between real image and virtual image formed by spherical

Mirrors

Real image Virtual image

● Inverted ● Virtual
● can be ● cannot be formed
formed on on a screen
the screen ● the distance
● the distance towards the image
towards the and its height
image and cannot be
its height measured directly
can be
measured
directly
● Magnification

Magnification(m) = Height of the image /height of object

m= hi/h0

● Calculate the magnification of an object of height 3 cm kept in front of a

concave mirror gives a real image of size 6 cm.
h0 =3 cm
hi= - 6 cm
m = - 6/3 =-2

● Uses of spherical Mirrors

1) concave mirror
Shaving mirror
makeup mirror
head mirror used by doctors
in film projectors
in lighthouses
reflectors of torch

2) convex mirror
Used as reflectors in street lamps
used as a rear view mirrors by drivers for viewing vehicles from behind.