MIRROR EQUATION

REMEMBER:
 Planemirrors produce images
that are virtual, upright, the
same size as the object, the
same distance behind the
mirror as the object is in front
of the mirror and laterally
reversed
REMEMBER:
 Images formed by convex mirrors,
are always virtual, upright and
smaller than the object
 Images formed by concave mirror

can be real or virtual depending

on the distance between the
mirror and the object. The image
may also be larger, the same size
as, or smaller than the object.
MIRROR EQUATION:
1/f =1/p +1/q or 1/f = 1/do +1/di

Where
f= focal length of the mirror
do/p= distance of the object from
the vertex
di/q= distance of the image from
the vertex
The size of the object
(So) and its image (Si) can
be calculated using:

So/do= Si/di
LINEAR MAGNIFICATION (m)
Ratio between the sizes
of the image and the
object

m = Si/So
Linear Magnification

m = 1 image and the

object are the same size
m > 1 image is larger
than the object
m < 1 image is smaller
than the object
Sign Conventions for Curved Mirrors
QUANTITY POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-)

f Concave Convex
mirror mirror
di/q Real image Virtual
(the image image
is in front (image is
of the behind the
mirror) mirror)
Sample Problem:
1. An object is located 50 cm in
front of a concave mirror
whose focal length is 15 cm.
Find (a) q (b) size of the image
if the object is 25 cm tall
Sample Problem

2. An object 1.5 cm tall is

located 4.5 cm in front of
the mirror, the focal
length of the mirror is 3
cm. Find q, Si, m