10

Science
Quarter 2 - Module 6
Images formed by
Plane and Curved Mirrors

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and

reviewed by educators from public schools. We encourage teachers and
other education stakeholders to email their feedback, comments, and
recommendations to the Department of Education, Schools Division of Cebu
City.
We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

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Quarter 2 – Module 6: Images formed by Plane and Curved Mirrors
Second Edition, Revised 2021

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Published by the Department of Education – Division of Cebu City Schools Division
Superintendent: Rhea Mar A. Angtud, EdD

Development Team of the Module

Writer:
Bonnie James A. Saclolo, Teacher III, Cebu City National Science HS

Content Editors:
Dr. Deogenes R. Adoptante, Principal I, Mambaling National HS
Mrs. Arnolfa A. Demellites, Principal I, Guba National HS

Language Editor:
Mrs. Wilma Y. Villaflor, Principal III , Don Vicente Rama Mem. ES

Management Team:
Dr. Rhea Mar A. Angtud, Schools Division Superintendent
Dr. Bernadette A. Susvilla, Asst. Schools Division Superintendent
Mrs. Grecia F. Bataluna, CID Chief
Dr. Raylene S. Manawatao, EPS – Science
Mrs. Vanessa L. Harayo, EPS – LRMDS

Printed in the Philippines by

Department of Education Division of Cebu City RO VII
Office Address: Imus Avenue, Cebu City
Telephone Nos: (032) 255-1516 / (032)253-9095,
E-mail Address: cebucity@deped.gov.ph

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INTRODUCTION:
This module is based on DepEd’s Most Essential Learning Competency (MELC)
Number 4 for Science 10, Quarter 2.
Learning Competency:
“Predict the qualitative characteristics such as orientation, type, and magnification of
images formed by plane and curved mirrors and lenses (S10FE-IIg-50).

There are three lessons in this module, namely:

 Lesson 1 – Basic Concepts in Optics
 Lesson 2 – Images in Curved Mirrors - Ray Diagramming
 Lesson 3 – Images in Curved Mirrors - Mirror and Magnification Equations

What I Need to Know

At the end of this module, you are expected accomplish the following specific learning
objectives unpacked from the competency:

1. Classify objects according to their optical properties

2. Explain how these optical properties affect how we see things
3. Describe the phenomenon of light called reflection
4. Enumerate the characteristics of images formed by plane mirrors
5. Use a ray diagram to predict characteristics of images formed by curved mirrors
6. Use the mirror equation and magnification equation to predict characteristics of
images formed by curved mirrors

What I Know

Before starting the learning process, it is important to know how familiar you
already are with the concepts in this topic. Please answer the pre-test before
proceeding. Write the word or phrase that completes the following concepts. Write
your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1) A concave mirror reflects light rays such that they converge and form a _______
focus.
2) Very smooth opaque surfaces exhibit _______ reflection.
3) When reflected light rays that are traced backwards converge, they form a
______ type of image.
4) There are 7 images formed by two adjacent plane mirrors placed at an angle of
___ degrees.
5) The ______ is drawn such that it forms a 90-degree angle with the reflecting
surface at the point where the incident ray is reflected.

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 6) When the light rays from an object is reflected off a plane mirror, the type of
image formed is _________.
7) If an object is placed 2 cm in front of a convex mirror whose focal length is -8
cm, a virtual image is formed inside the mirror, ___ cm away from the vertex.
8) An incident ray travelling parallel to the principal axis towards a curved mirror
will be reflected such that it will pass through or align with the _________.
9) There will be __________ formed when an object is placed at F in front of a
concave mirror.
10) The study of electromagnetic waves with wavelength ranging from 400nm to
700nm is called ________.
11) Reflection happens when a light ray hits a nonluminous ______ object.
12) When an incident ray is angled at 300 with respect to the normal line, then its
reflected ray should have an angle of reflection measuring _______.
13) Images that are formed in front of curved mirrors are always _____ in type.
14) According to the mirror equation if the focal length is -5 cm and the image
distance is -4 cm, the object distance should be ____ cm.
15) The distance from the vertex of a curved mirror to its center of curvature is
____ times the distance from the vertex of that mirror to its focal point.

Lesson FORCE, MOTION, AND ENERGY

1 Basic Concepts
In Optics

What’s In

Among the seven electromagnetic waves, we are familiar with visible light the
most. We evolved eyes that can perceive it. Visible light occupies a narrow band of
the electromagnetic spectrum.
Recall what you have learned from the previous modules about light. Copy the
table on a paper and fill in the necessary information. The first row is done for you.
VISIBLE LIGHT
Color Wavelength Frequency
Red 390 nm to 455 nm 7.69 x 1019 Hz to 6.59 x 1019 Hz
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo - Violet
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 What’s New

The study of light is called OPTICS. Objects can be classified based on their optical
properties. Below is a flowchart on how to do this classification:

Copy the table on a piece of paper. Using the flowchart above, classify the
following objects by writing each on its appropriate box. Number 1 is already done
for you.
1) concrete 3) LED bulb 5) frosted glass
2) chair 4) eyeglass lens 6) the Sun
Luminous Nonluminous
Natural Man-made Opaque Translucent Transparent

concrete

What is it

INTERACTION OF LIGHT WITH NON-LUMINOUS OPAQUE OBJECTS

Light comes from luminous sources. It then

interacts with nonluminous objects.
When light hits a completely opaque object,
it cannot penetrate the object and its rays are
bounced off the surface. This is what we call
reflection.
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HOW WE SEE OBJECTS
We see things when light enters our eyes and the signals they create are
interpreted by our brain.
We see luminous objects when light
produced by them reaches our eyes.
We can still see nonluminous objects
even if they do not generate their own
light. This happens when light rays from
other sources hit them and get reflected
to our eyes.

LAWS OF REFLECTION
When light bounces off an opaque surface, it follows the laws of reflection: “The
angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection”. “Both angles lie on the
same plane.”
In the illustration
on the right the incident
ray is the incoming light
that would hit the opaque
object. The normal is
the line that is
perpendicular (forms a
900 angle) to the
reflecting surface (in
this case, the mirror) at
the point where the light
ray hits. The reflected
ray is the trajectory of
the light ray bouncing off
the opaque object. The angle of incidence (incident angle) is measured from the
incident ray to the normal line and the angle of reflection (reflected angle) is
measured from the reflected ray to the normal line. A common misconception is to
measure these angles from the reflecting surface. You should NEVER do this.

TWO TYPES OF REFLECTION

When we consider multiple light rays hitting opaque objects, two types of
reflection can occur – specular or regular reflection and diffused or irregular
reflection.

Diffused / Irregular Reflection Specular / Regular Reflection

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 In diffused reflection, reflected rays are In specular reflection, parallel
scattered in different directions. This incident rays are reflected regularly at
happens in an object whose surface is the same angles. This involves flat,
rough (when you zoom in smooth objects where the reflecting
microscopically) and therefore the surface is oriented only at one
reflecting surfaces are oriented in direction. Each light ray obeys the
different directions. Each light ray still law of reflection. And because the
obeys the law of reflection but because reflecting surfaces have one
of the orientation of the reflecting orientation, parallel incident rays are
surfaces, parallel incident rays are reflected such that they remain
scattered randomly upon reflection. parallel to each other.
Specular or regular reflection produces an image of the object whose light rays
are reflected by a smooth surface such as in a mirror or in still water but only at specific
angles. Diffused reflection is responsible for why an illuminated surface can be seen
from multiple angles.

Diffused reflection: Specular reflection:

No image of the luminous object An image of the luminous object
(flashlight) can be seen but (flashlight) can be seen but only by
observers from multiple angles can the observer at the correct angle.
see the illuminated surface.

IMAGES IN PLANE MIRRORS

A plane mirror is a smooth surface that reflects light regularly (specular
reflection). Images formed in plane mirrors have the following properties:
1. Image formed
has same size as
the object.
2. Image formed
has same
distance as
object.
3. Image formed
seem to have a
“left-right
reversal” effect.
4. Image formed is
always upright.

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Left-right reversal is an effect where the left side of the object becomes the right side
of the image and vice versa such as shown below:

MINIMUM MIRROR LENGTH FOR A FULL-BODY IMAGE

A consequence of the properties of images

formed in a plane mirror is the fact that any person
would need a mirror with length of at least half of
his/her height for him/her to see his/her full-body
image or reflection.

MULTIPLE IMAGES
Multiple images can be formed by just using two mirrors. For example, if you
were to stand in between two parallel mirrors, you would see an infinite number of
images on both mirrors.
Another setup that can be done is placing two plane mirrors at an angle. This
time, the number of images would depend on the angle between them.

Image 1 Image 2

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 In Image 1, the two reflective (opposite) sides of an elevator create infinite
images as seen by an observer inside it.
In Image 2, a single object placed between two mirrors at an angle produces
multiple images. The number of images can be calculated as N = (360 0/ϕ) – 1, where
N = number of images and ϕ = angle between the two mirrors. Since the mirrors in
Image 2 form a 90-degree angle, then N = (3600/900) – 1, and that equals to 3 images.

What’s More

Copy the table below on a separate sheet of paper. Calculate the number of
images formed by two adjacent mirrors when oriented at different angles. Show your
solution. The first one is done for you as an example.
Angle between Number of Solution:
two plane mirrors images seen 1) N = (3600/ϕ) – 1
1) 45 degrees 7 = (3600/450) – 1
2) 60 degrees = (8) – 1
3) 75 degrees N=7

Note: If you have two plane

mirrors and a protractor at
home, you can confirm if
your calculation is correct by
replicating the set-up. The
image on the right applies to
number 1. Notice that from
one real object, 7 images
are formed just as
calculated. Real Object

What I Have Learned

Complete the summary below by filling in the appropriate words to each blank.
Write your answers as numbered on a separate sheet of paper.
LESSON SUMMARY:
Based on ___(1)____ any object can be classified as either a natural luminous
object, man-made luminous object, opaque nonluminous object, translucent
nonluminous object or transparent nonluminous object.
When an object is able to generate its own light it is labeled as ____(2)_____.
Those that cannot generate their own light are called ___(3)____. A luminous object
that exists in nature even before man came along falls under the category called
___(4)___ while those that exist because man invented them are classified as
____(5)_____.
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 A/an __(6)___ nonluminous object is something that allows light to pass
through while a/an ___(7)___ one does NOT allow light to pass through. When an
object is more or less an equal combination of both, such some light can pass through
creating an image that is vague or distorted, we call it __(8)__.
When a light ray from a luminous source hits an opaque object, it undergoes a
phenomenon called ___(9)____. This happens when a light ray bounces off the
surface at a specific angle as dictated by a concept in optics called the ___(10)____.
This concept states that the angle of incidence is always equal to the
_________(11)_______.
Plane mirrors create images that have four properties, namely:
 The type of image is ___(12)____.
 The distance of the image from the mirror is ____(13)____ the distance of
the real object to the mirror.
 The image formed has a ____(14)_____ effect.
 The orientation of the image is ___(15)____.

What I Can Do

A periscope is a device that allows

a user to see objects that are not in his
line of sight or objects that are blocked by
an obstacle. The simplest design is done
by using two plane mirrors angled at 450
from opposite sides of a viewing tube or
cardboard.
Construct a simple periscope from
materials you can find at home. You can
research from books or the internet for
instructions if you find the task difficult.
CAUTION: Be careful when using
sharp tools such as scissors and cutters.
Ask supervision from adults.

Additional Activities

This activity is optional and is only for additional learning. You DO NOT have to do it
if you do not have access to the internet.
1) Open a web browser on your device and go to “www.misterhelp.net”.
2) Click on “Log in as a guest”.
3) Select YES to agree to the privacy policy of the site.
4) Navigate to the course titled “Module 6: Images formed by Plane and
Curved Mirrors”.
5) Click on “Lesson 1” listed on the course.
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 Lesson FORCE, MOTION, AND ENERGY

2 Images in Curved Mirrors -

Ray Diagramming

What’s In

In the previous lesson, we learned about the properties of images formed by a

flat smooth reflecting surface – a plane mirror. But not all mirrors are plane. There are
ones that have curved surfaces.
The diagram below shows a curved reflecting surface. Using the law of
reflection, explain why the incident light ray at the top is reflected downward while the
incident light ray at the bottom is reflected upwards. Write your answer on a sheet of
paper.
Hints:
It has to do with the orientation
of the surface at the point
where the incident ray hits.
The dashed lines drawn are
the normal lines.

What’s New

Aside from plane mirrors, it is also useful to look at how light interacts with
curved mirrors.
A parabolic mirror is an opaque reflective surface that is shaped like a parabola.
A spherical mirror is shaped like the surface of a sphere. Sometimes in books, the
terms spherical mirrors and parabolic mirrors are used interchangeably because small
spherical surfaces are good approximations of bigger parabolic surfaces. Spherical
and parabolic mirrors are generally referred to as curved mirrors. Parabolic mirrors
are more accurate than spherical mirrors. However, we will focus only on spherical
mirrors because they are easier to draw and deal with.
Two types of curved mirrors:
 Concave mirror – a smooth reflecting surface whose shape is “caved in” at
the center.
 Convex mirror – a smooth reflecting surface whose shape is “bulging
outwards” at the center.

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 Find the smoothest and shiniest spoon you could find in your house. Examine
how the front part and the back part of it can act like a mirror. Which side of the spoon
can be considered a convex mirror? It is the side that holds food or the opposite side?
Which side can be a concave mirror? Write your answers on a sheet of paper.

What is it

ACTION OF SPHERICAL MIRRORS ON PARALLEL LIGHT RAYS

A concave mirror reflects parallel
incidents rays such that they converge at
a point called the focus. This focus is
“real” since light rays really do meet at
this point.
A convex mirror on the other hand
diverges parallel light rays upon
reflection. These light rays DO NOT
meet. But when we trace the reflected light rays backwards, they do meet at an
imaginary point. This is called the virtual or imaginary focus since light rays do not
really meet here physically.
Because of their actions to parallel light rays, a concave mirror is also known as a
converging mirror while a convex mirror is also called a diverging mirror.

PARTS OF A SPHERICAL MIRROR SET-UP

Spherical mirrors can be thought of as inside or outside surfaces of a sphere.
A concave mirror’s curve is based on the inside surface of a sphere while a convex
mirror’s curve is based on the outside surface of a sphere.

C F F C
Principal Axis V V Principal Axis
v V

Parts of a Concave Mirror Parts of a Convex Mirror

C (center of curvature) - is the center of the sphere from which the concave or convex
mirror’s curve is derived from
F (focus / focal point) - is the point at which light rays meet
- for a concave mirror it is a point where real light rays meet
after reflection
- for a convex mirror it is a point where virtual light rays
(reflected light rays that are traced backwards) meet
- this point is found halfway between C and V

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Principal Axis - it is the line that divides the mirror into two equal parts
- this line passes through C, F and V

V (vertex) - it is the point of intersection between the principal axis and the
surface of the mirror

IMAGES IN CURVED MIRRORS

Just like in plane mirrors, images can also be formed in curved mirrors.
In plane mirrors the image formed is always virtual, upright, same size and has
a right-left reversal effect no matter where the object being reflected is. It is more
complicated in curved mirrors.
So, how do we determine the characteristics of images formed in curved
mirrors?

RAY DIAGRAMMING

One technique to determine the qualities of images formed in curved mirrors is

by making diagrams of select incident and reflected light rays. This is called ray
diagramming. To simplify the process, we do three things – 1) we always use an
arrow to represent the object being reflected; 2) we draw the object as upright with its
base or “foot” starting from the principal axis; and 3) we draw incident rays from the
top of the object / arrow.

There are 4 rays that can be drawn to complete a ray diagram for a curved
mirror. Two of them are applicable to all situations.

1) P-F ray (applicable to all situations)

Concave Mirror Convex Mirror

An incident ray parallel to the principal

An incident ray parallel to the principal axis hits the mirror surface and is
axis hits the mirror surface and is reflected such that it aligns with the
reflected such that it passes through the virtual focus. This means that if the
real focus. reflected ray is traced backwards, the line
would pass through the virtual focus.

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2) V Ray (applicable to all situations)

Concave Mirror Convex Mirror

A light ray that hits the vertex of the

A light ray that hits the vertex of the mirror
mirror is reflected such that same
is reflected such that same angle is formed
angle is formed as if it was a plane
as if it was a plane mirror.
mirror.

3) F-P ray (NOT applicable to every situation)

Concave Mirror Convex Mirror

An incident ray aligns with the virtual

An incident ray passing through the focus. (This means if we extend the
real focus hits the mirror and is incident ray into the inside of the mirror,
reflected in such a way that the the line would pass through the virtual
resulting ray is parallel to the principal focus). As the incident ray hits the mirror it
axis. is reflected to a direction that is parallel to
the principal axis.

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4) C-C Ray (NOT applicable to every situation)

Concave Mirror Convex Mirror

An incident ray aligns with the center of

curvature. (This means if we extend the
An incident ray passing through the incident ray into the inside of the mirror,
center of curvature hits the mirror and the line would pass through the center of
is reflected backwards in the same line. curvature). As this incident ray hits the
mirror it is reflected backwards in the
same line.

Note: Since the P-F Ray and the V Ray are applicable to all situations, you should
always draw these two first. Afterwards, see if the F-P Ray and the C-C Ray can also
be drawn. When you draw the incident ray and it cannot reach the mirror’s surface, it
means it CANNOT be drawn for that case. There are situations where you can draw
all 4 rays but there are also cases where you can only draw 3 or 2 rays.

DRAWING THE IMAGE AND DERTERMINING ITS CHARACTERISTICS

The image formed is found where reflected light rays in the ray diagram meet.
If reflected rays are parallel, NO image is formed. The characteristics of the image
depends on the location of the object being reflected. These characteristics refer to
the location (L), orientation (O), size (S) and type (T) of the image.
Location. When determining the location, we use the F, C and V as reference
points. The object or image could be placed at a location beyond C, at C, between C
and F, at F, between F and V or inside the mirror.
Orientation. The image formed could be upright or it could be inverted.
Size. The size of the image is compared to the size of the object. The image
formed could be bigger (enlarged), smaller (diminished) or same size as the object.
Type. There are two types of images. A real image is formed when reflected
light rays meet physically. When reflected light rays DO NOT meet, they can be traced
backwards where they meet at an imaginary point and form an imaginary or virtual
image.

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 Below is an example where a concave mirror is used, and the object being
reflected is placed at the center of curvature (C) of the mirror.
Object
Image formed by a 1
Concave Mirror when 2
Object is placed at C
3
V
Image
2
3
Location of Object - at C
1 Image
Location - at C
Orientation - inverted
Size - same size
Type - real

In diagram above, only 3 rays can be drawn – the P-F Ray (1), the V ray (2)
and the F-P ray (3). When the C-C ray is attempted, it does not reach the mirror’s
surface.
Notice that since the original incident rays came from the top of the object, then
the point where they meet after the reflection also forms the top of the image. And
because the “foot” or base of the object starts from the principal axis then the “foot” or
base of the image should also start from the principal axis. As a result, the image
drawn is inverted. Also, the type of image is real because of the physical meeting of
reflected light rays. When the object and the image are measured by a ruler, they have
the same height or size.
Below is another example. This time, a convex mirror is used.

Object

Image

V F C
Location of Object - in front of mirror,
equivalent to
between F and V
Image Image formed by a
Location - inside the mirror, Convex Mirror when
between V and F Object is placed in
Orientation - upright front of it
Size - smaller
Type - virtual

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 In diagram from the previous page, all 4 rays can be drawn – the P-F Ray, the
V ray and the F-P ray and the C-C ray. You should be able to identify which light ray
is which even without the labels.

Notice several observations in this case:

1) The reflected rays DO NOT meet. The reflected rays (NOT the incident rays)
are traced backwards to determine a meeting point resulting to the formation
of a virtual image.
2) The imaginary point where retraced reflected rays meet form the top of the
image and the base of the image is on the principal axis. As a result, an
upright image is drawn.
3) The location of the object is described as “equivalent to between F and V”
because there are no F and V points on the object side. They are located
on the of inside the mirror. If the distance of the object from the mirror is
measured, it is equivalent to the distance of a location between the F and V
points inside the mirror.
4) The image formed is located between F and V but the description “inside
the mirror” is also necessary to emphasize that what is formed is a virtual
image inside the mirror. Remember that a mirror is supposed to reflect light
rays back to the object side. The real light rays are expected to meet at the
object side to create a real image. Therefore, whenever an image is formed
inside the mirror it is a virtual image.
5) The virtual image is smaller than the original object.

What’s More

Now that you know the rules on how to do ray diagramming, it is time to practice how
to do it on your own.

Directions: Do the ray diagrams on the following cases. You can answer on the module
itself or on photocopies of the pages involved. Copying the cases on a piece of paper
by hand is tricky since the accuracy of the curvature of the mirror matters. Draw the
incident rays, reflected rays and image formed. Then, determine the location (L),
orientation (O), size (S) and type (T) of the image. The rays for concave mirror case 5
and convex mirror case 1 are done for you as examples.

Note: As discussed, spherical mirrors are not as accurate as parabolic mirrors. Since
we are using spherical surfaces here, it is expected that there some inaccuracies in
the ray diagrams. In cases like these, estimate the point where the light rays would
most likely meet.

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Concave Mirror Case 1: Object is located between F and V

L–

O–

S–

T–

Concave Mirror Case 2: Object is located at F

L–

O–

S–

T–

Concave Mirror Case 3: Object is located between C and F

L–

O–

S–

T–

Concave Mirror Case 4: Object is located at C

L–

O–

S–

T–

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Concave Mirror Case 5: Object is located beyond C

L–

O–

S–

T–

Convex Mirror Case 1: Object is located in front of mirror

at a distance equivalent to between F and V

L–

O–

S–

T–

Convex Mirror Case 2: Object is located in front of mirror

at a distance equivalent to at F

L–

O–

S–

T–

Convex Mirror Case 3: Object is located in front of mirror

at a distance equivalent to between C and F

L–

O–

S–

T–

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Convex Mirror Case 4: Object is located in front of mirror
at a distance equivalent to at C

L–

O–

S–

T–

Convex Mirror Case 5: Object is located in front of mirror

at a distance equivalent to beyond C

L–

O–

S–

T–

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Copy the tables on a piece of paper and fill in the necessary entries.

CONCAVE MIRROR
Image
Object Location
Location (L) Orientation (O) Size (S) Type (T)
Case 1: between F and V
Case 2: at F
Case 3: between C and F
Case 4: at C
Case 5: beyond C

CONVEX MIRROR
Object Location: Image
In front of mirror with Location (L) Orientation (O) Size (S) Type (T)
distance equivalent to
Case 1: between F and V
Case 2: at F
Case 3: between C and F
Case 4: at C
Case 5: beyond C

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The tables above can be condensed into one table. Think about how this can be done.
Hint: Merge the 5 cases in convex mirror into 1.

CONCAVE MIRROR
Image
Object Location
Location (L) Orientation (O) Size (S) Type (T)
Case 1: between F and V
Case 2: at F
Case 3: between C and F
Case 4: at C
Case 5: beyond C
CONVEX MIRROR
All cases: All locations

Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of what you have learned in this
lesson. Write your answers as numbered on a separate sheet of paper.
There are 2 types of curved mirrors. A ___(1)___ mirror reflects parallel light
rays that hit it such that they converge. A convex mirror on the other hand,
___(2)_____ parallel light rays upon reflection.
_____(3)_____ is a technique of determining the qualities of images formed by
curved mirrors. This is done by drawing incident and reflected rays. There are _(4)__
rays that can be drawn in this technique. The __(5)__ ray is an incident ray parallel to
the principal axis that gets reflected such that is passes through the real focus or aligns
with the virtual focus. A ray that hits the __(6)__ of the mirror is called the V ray. It
bounces of the surface in such a way that the angles formed by the incident and
reflected rays with the principal axis are the same. A third optional ray is drawn such
that the incident ray passes through the real focus or aligns with the virtual focus and
then gets reflected in a direction parallel to the ___(7)____. This is called the F-P ray.
The last optional ray is called the C-C ray. It is a light ray that passes through or aligns
with the ___(8)______ and then gets reflected on the same line.
Objects reflected and images formed in curved mirrors may be found in six
different locations relative to the mirror. These locations are: between V and F, at F,
____(9)___, ____(10)____, and ___(11)____.
The orientation of the image maybe ___(12)___ or inverted. The size of the
image maybe ___(13)___, same size, or smaller than the original object. When real
light rays converge, they form a __(14)__ type of image. A virtual image is located by
tracing backwards the ___(15)___ rays.

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 What I Can Do

Side mirrors of vehicles are very important. These mirrors enable the driver to
see what is going on at the back or sides of the vehicle so that he can make sound
decisions in his driving. Given the small size of the mirrors relative to the space that
the driver must see, the mirrors must offer a wide-angle view for this to work.

Research what type of curved mirror is used as side mirrors in vehicles and
using the results of the ray diagrams you accomplished in this lesson explain why such
type of curved mirror is used. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

Additional Activities

This activity is optional and is only for additional learning. You DO NOT have to
do it if you do not have access to the internet.
1) Open a web browser on your device and go to misterhelp.net
2) Click on “Log in as a guest”.
3) Select YES to agree to the privacy policy of the site.
4) Navigate to the course titled “Module 6: Images formed by Plane and
Curved Mirrors”.
5) Click on “Lesson 2” listed on the course.

Lesson FORCE, MOTION, AND ENERGY

3 Images in Curved
Mirrors - Mirror and
Magnification Equations

What’s In

In the previous lesson, we learned how to determine the qualities of the images
formed by curved mirrors through a technique called ray diagramming. In this lesson
we will determine those qualities through a purely mathematical method.

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 What’s New

When we look at the ray diagrams we made in the previous lesson, we notice
that the P-F ray and F-P ray form similar triangles. The sides of the triangles form
lengths of the image and object and the distances of the object and image from the
mirror.

where:
p = distance of object from mirror
q = distance of image from mirror
h = height of object
h’ = height of image
f = focal length

Derivation of the ratios of the sides of these triangles yield the formula that we
call the magnification equation:

= − Note: the negative sign is inherent to the equation.

By incorporating the distance of the focus from the mirror, f (focal length), into
the derivation, we get the mirror equation:
1 1 1
= +
𝑓 𝑝 𝑞

By substituting in the values of h’, h, p, q and f in the diagram below, show that
the two equations above are valid. Write your answer on a sheet of paper.

Object
f = 5 cm
h = 2.5 cm

p = 7 cm
h’ = - 6.25 cm
q = 17.5 cm

Image
HINT:
Illustrate through calculation that the left and right sides of the magnification
equation are equal using the values in the diagram above. Do the same for the mirror
equation.

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 What is it

Using the magnification and mirror equations, we can find out the qualities of
the image formed by a curve mirror such as its location, orientation, size and type in a
purely mathematical manner. To use the equations properly, we must first discuss the
properties of each variable involved in the equations.
1) f – focal length
This is the length from the vertex of the mirror to the focus (F).
For a real focus, this value is positive (+) or in front of the mirror and for a
virtual focus this value is negative (-) or inside the mirror. Concave mirrors
have positive foci while convex mirrors have negative foci.
2) p – object distance
This is how far away the object is from the mirror measured from the vertex.
This value is always positive. The positive sign can be interpreted as “in
front of the mirror” because we always place the object in front of the mirror.
3) q – image distance
This is how far away the image formed is from the mirror.
This value is positive for a real image. Real images are formed in front of
the mirror. The value of q is negative for a virtual image. Virtual images are
formed inside the mirror. Remember that a mirror is supposed to reflect light
rays back to the object side. Therefore, real light rays meeting to form a real
image should be in front of the mirror. An image that is formed inside the
mirror cannot be formed by real light rays – and so it should be a virtual
image.
4) h – object height
This is the length of the object.
This value is always positive (assuming it is originally positioned upright).
5) h’ – image height
This is the length of the image formed.
This value is positive if the image is upright but is negative when the image
is inverted. Real images are always inverted, and virtual images are always
upright (assuming the real object is originally upright).

Example 1: Using the mirror equation.

A concave mirror has a focal length of 6 cm. If an object is placed 4 cm in front
of it, where can we find its image?

Given:
f = 6 cm (this is a positive value since a concave mirror has a real focus)
p = 4 cm

Find:
q=?

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Solution:

Therefore, the image formed

is located 12 cm from the
vertex. It is a virtual image
formed on the inside of the
mirror as indicated by the
negative sign.

Example 2: Using the magnification equation.

The virtual image formed by a convex mirror has a height of 5.4 cm. This image
is located on inside of the mirror 1.2 cm from the vertex. If the real object was placed
2 cm away from the mirror to produce this image, what is the object’s height?
Given:
h’ = 5.4 cm
q = -1.2 cm (this is a negative number even if it is not explicitly stated in the
word problem because the image is inside the mirror and is virtual)
p = 2 cm
Find:
h=?

Solution:

Therefore, the height of the

original object being reflected is 9
cm. The object is always
assumed upright as indicated by
its positive sign.

Example 3: Using the magnification and mirror equations

An object with a height of 4.5 inches is placed at an unknown distance from a
concave mirror whose focal length is 3 inches. What will be the height of the image
formed if it appears 4.8 inches in front of the mirror?

Given:
h = 4.5 in
f = 3 in (this is positive since a concave mirror has a positive focal length)
q = 4.8 in (this is positive since it is in front of the mirror and is a real image)

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Find:
h’ = ?

Solution:

We can use the magnification equation to solve for h’, but we need the values
for h, p and q. The h and q are given but the p is not. Luckily, we can solve p from the
mirror equation because we know f and q. Therefore, this problem can be solved in
two steps.

Step 1: Solving for p using the mirror equation.

Step 2: Solving for h’ using the magnification equation and p from step 1

Therefore, the height

of the image is 2.7
inches, and it is
inverted as indicated
by its sign.

Just as in ray diagramming, we can also specify the location of the object or
image as beyond C, at C, between C and F, at F and between V, or inside the
mirror. To do this we have to compare the value of q to where V, F and C are. Let us
refer to the example in the box.

Ex. concave mirror f = 3 cm p = 6 cm h = 7 cm q = 6 cm h’ = -7 cm

Note that we measure distances from the vertex so V should be at point 0. The
focus (F) should be at a point 3 cm in front of the mirror because this is a concave
mirror, and its focus is positive (found in front of the mirror). And since F is always at
the halfway point between the center of curvature and the vertex, this means that the
center of curvature must be 6 cm in front of the mirror. Because the q is + 6 cm it
means the image is formed in front of the mirror 6 cm away from it exactly at the center
of curvature (C). So, we say that the location of the image in this case is at C.

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 To determine the size of the image we compare its height to that of the object,
but we neglect the sign. This is because the sign only indicates the orientation of the
image and not its value. In the above example, the object height is 7 cm while the
image height is – 7 cm. We say that the image is the same size as the object’s
because they have the same magnitude which is 7 cm. The only difference is that the
image is inverted as indicated by its negative sign.

Example 4: Determining L-O-S-T using the magnification and mirror equations

An object 6 inches in height is placed 1 inch away from a convex mirror whose
focal length is 4 inches. Complete the table below:
Object IMAGE
Location Location Orientation Size Type
? ? ? ? ?

a) location of object
Given:
V (vertex) = at 0 in
F (focus) = at - 4 in (a convex mirror has a virtual or negative focal length)
p = +1 in

Note that p (object distance) is between 0 and +4 inches which means this is
between F and V if F was at the positive side (in front of the mirror). But since the F is
at the negative side (inside of the mirror), all we can say is that the object is located
“in front of the mirror at a distance equivalent to between F and V”.

b) location of the image

Given: p = +1 in
f = - 4 in (This has a negative value because it is a convex mirror)
Find: q=?

Solution:

Since,
V = at 0 in
F = at - 4 in
q = - 0.8 in
Then means the object is
located between F and V,
which is inside the mirror as
further evidenced by the
negative sign.

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c) orientation of the image
Given: h = 6 in
p = 1 in
q = -0.8 in (solved in part b)
Find: h’ =?
Solution:

Since the sign for

the calculated h’ is
positive, it means
the image formed
must be upright.

d) size of the image We compare the absolute value of the

Given: h = 6 in image height to the absolute value of the
h’ = +4.8 in (solved in part c) object height. (Taking the absolute value
simply means that we ignore the sign
Solution: and we only compare the magnitude of
4.8 in < 6 in the value). We can see that the image
| h’ | < | h | formed is smaller than the object.

e) type of the image

Given: q = -0.8 in (solved in part b)
We can see that the sign of the calculated image distance is negative. This
means that the image is formed inside the mirror. Therefore, this image is NOT real
and is virtual.

We now have completed the table using a purely mathematical approach without
needing to draw a ray diagram.

IMAGE
Object Location
Location Orientation Size Type
In front of the mirror at a
between
distance equivalent to upright smaller virtual
F and V
between F and V

What’s More

Now that you have learned how to use the magnification and mirror equations
to solve for word problems and determine the qualities of images formed in curved
mirrors, it is time to practice these calculations by yourself.

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Word problems:

1) What is the focal length of a curved mirror that creates an image 4.5 cm in front
of the mirror when the object is placed 9 cm away from it?
2) Where should an object with a height of 5 inches be placed in front of a convex
mirror such that it produces a 1-inch upright image found on the inside of the
mirror 3 inches away from the vertex?
3) An object with a height of 12 cm is placed 6 cm away from a convex mirror with
a focal length of - 30 cm. What is the object location? What would be the
location, orientation, size and type of image produced?

What I Have Learned

Supply the missing words to complete a summary of what you have learned in
this lesson. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper as numbered.
LESSON SUMMARY:
In a set-up involving curved mirrors we can make several measurements. The
focal length, f, is the distance from the vertex of the mirror to the __(1)__. The object
distance is represented by the variable _(2)_ while the _____(3)_____ is represented
by the variable q. The relationship between the three variables is encapsulated in the
___(4)___ equation. This equation tells us that the inverse of the ____(5)_____ is
equal to the sum of inverse of the object distance and the inverse of the image
distance.
Aside from the three variables mentioned, we can also measure the object
height represented by the variable _(6)_ and the _____(7)______ represented by the
variable h’. Another mathematical relationship called the ___(8)____ equation
describes the connection between these variables with p and q. This equation tells us
that the ratio between the image height and the object height is ____(9)____ to the
negative of the ratio between the image distance and the ____(10)____.

Additional Activities

This activity is optional and is only for additional learning. You DO NOT have to
do it if you do not have access to the internet.
1) Open a web browser on your device and go to misterhelp.net
2) Click on “Log in as a guest”.
3) Select YES to agree to the privacy policy of the site.
4) Navigate to the course titled “Module 6: Images formed by Plane and
Curved Mirrors”.
5) Click on “Lesson 3” listed on the course.
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 Assessment

It is time to check what you have learned through lessons 1, 2 and 3. Write
the letter of the correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1) What segment of the electromagnetic spectrum is studied by Optics?

a. infrared b. radio waves c. visible light d. x-rays

2) What happens to a light ray when it hits an opaque object? It _____________.

a. is reflected c. will be refracted
b. stops moving d. passes through the object

3) How many images can be formed by two adjacent mirrors at an angle of 60 0?

a. 3 b. 4 c. 5 d. 6

4) How is the normal line drawn? The normal line is drawn in such a way that it
forms a _______ angle with the reflecting surface at the point where the light
ray is reflected.
a. 90-degree c. 45-degree
b. 60-degree d. 0-degree

5) Which of the following is/are NOT characteristic/s of an image produced in a

plane mirror?
I. The image formed is real.
II. It is reversed in the right-left direction.
III. It is always smaller than the object being reflected.
IV. The object distance and the image distance are equal.
a. I and IV b. I and III c II and IV d. II and III

6) Why does a convex mirror have a negative focus?

a. It has a focus that is found in front of the mirror.
b. The light rays that hit this type of mirror become parallel.
c. A convex mirror creates an imaginary focus inside the mirror.
d. Light rays that are incident on a convex mirror cannot be reflected.

7) What happens if there is an incident ray that travels along the normal line
towards a reflective surface?
a. It does not get reflected.
b. The light ray will be reflected on the same line.
c. It will pass through the reflecting surface and will disappear.
d. The angle of reflection will have a measurement of 90 degrees.

8) Which statement is TRUE about images formed by curved mirrors?

a. Real images are found in front of the mirror.
b. Virtual images are found in front of the mirror.
c. Images produced are always bigger than real object.
d. Images produced are always smaller than real object.
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 9) Which of the following sets of values is correct according to the mirror equation?
a. f = -3 cm, p = 8 cm, q = -5 cm c. f = -6 cm, p = -7 cm, q = 42 cm
b. f = 4 cm, p = 8 cm, q = 8 cm d. f = 2 cm, p = -5 cm, q = -10 cm

10) What is the relationship between the focus F, center of curvature C and vertex
V of a curved mirror?
a. The center of curvature is located halfway between the focus and the
vertex of the mirror.
b. The vertex of the mirror is located halfway between the focus and the
center of curvature.
c. The focus is located halfway between the center of curvature and the
vertex of the mirror.
d. The focus is located twice as far as where the center of curvature is
located on the same line as the vertex.

11) Which of the following is an example of specular reflection?

a. image formed by a plane mirror
b. scattering of light as it hits a rough surface
c. rays from a flashlight hitting the surface of a wall
d. how we see objects that are nonluminous in nature

12) How is the virtual image produced by a convex mirror located? It is done by
extending the ______________________.
a. incident rays forward c. reflected rays forward
b. incident rays backward d. reflected rays backward

13) Where will the image be formed if a real object is placed 2 cm in front of a
convex mirror whose focal length is -8 cm?
a. inside the mirror, 8 cm from the vertex
b. inside the mirror, 1.6 cm from the vertex
c. in front of the mirror, 2 cm from the vertex
d. in front of the mirror, 1.6 cm from the vertex

14) How is the reflected ray drawn for an incident ray whose direction is parallel to
the principal axis? It will _________________________.
a. pass through or align with the center of curvature
b. pass through the real focus or align with the virtual focus
c. align with the real focus or pass through the virtual focus
d. follow the direction that is perpendicular with the principal axis

15) What happens when an object if placed at F using a concave mirror?

a. no image will be formed
b. an inverted but enlarged image is formed
c. an upright but diminished image is formed
d. image with the same size as the object is formed

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 For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Division of Cebu City

Office Address: Imus Road, Cebu City
Telephone Nos.: (032) 255-1516 / (032)253-9095
E-mail Address : cebucity@deped.gov.ph

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