 What is a mirror?

 Differentiate a plane mirror from a spherical

mirror.
 Differentiate a real image from a virtual
image.
 What kind of reflection does plane mirrors
produce? Why?
 In a plane mirror, how does height and
distance of the object relate with the height
and distance of his image?
 Describe the image formed in a plane mirror.
Mirrors apply the concept of reflection.
7. When does reflection occur?
8. The angle of incidence of a light ray is 250.
What will be its angle of reflection? Why?
9. When light hits a surface some of it is
reflected. Why can’t we see our image on a
cemented pavement?
10. Reflection of light is a natural phenomenon.
How is reflection of light evident in nature?
11. Interior designers usually use plane mirrors
in small rooms. How can a plane mirror make a
room appear wider?
 12. Explain why the word” AMBULANCE” in an
ambulance car is flipped?

 13. When the road is dry, it is basically a rough

surface and scatters light. If the road is wet, the
water fills the irregularities and makes the road
smooth which makes it reflect light readily like a
plane mirror. Is it advisable to travel long distances
during at night time during rainy days? Why?
 14. A young lady is 150 cm tall. She wishes to buy a
mirror for her to see herself from head to toe at the
same time. What is the shortest possible height of
the mirror that she can buy?
 Spherical Mirrors
 Spherical Mirror : A curved mirror formed
by a part of a hollow glass sphere with a
reflecting surface.
 Two types of spherical mirrors:
 Concave mirror: a curved mirror with the
reflecting surface on the hollow side.
 Curved inward reflective surface
 Used to magnify
• Produces Real and Virtual Images
o depend on object’s distance from the surface of
the mirror and the focal length.
Concave
Concave
• Reflection
• Curved inward reflective surface

• Produces Real and Virtual Images

o depend on object’s distance from the surface
of the mirror and the focal length.
• Examples:
Shaving mirrors,
make up mirrors,
and dentist
mirrors.
 Convex Mirror : a curved mirror
with the reflecting surface on the
outer side.
 It bulges outward to the incident
ray.
 Image is small or reduced in size
 Image is upright
 Image is located behind the convex
mirror
Convex
Convex
• Reflection
• Image is small or reduced in size
• Image is upright
• Image is located behind the convex
mirror
Ex. Shiny Christmas ball, the side mirrors
in cars, and the wide range mirror in
supermarkets.
Spherical Mirror
Terminology
Center of Curvature (C) is the center of
the sphere from where the mirror was
taken.
Vertex (V or A) is the center of the
mirror. It is sometimes called the pole of
the mirror.
Radius of curvature ( R ) is the radius
of the sphere from where the mirror
was taken.
 Aperture (AB) refers to the width of the
mirror.
Principal axis or optical axis, is a
straight line joining C and V.
The principal focus (F) is the point where the
reflected rays meet as in the case of a
converging mirror (concave mirror) or the
point where the reflected ray seems to come
from behind a diverging mirror (convex
mirror).
Since there is an actual
meeting of reflected rays in
concave mirrors, the
principal focus is real.

In convex mirrors, the reflected

rays spread out and never
come to a focus. However,
when reflected rays were
extended, they would appear
to come from a single point
behind the mirror, thus the
principal focus of a convex
mirror is virtual.
 Spherical mirror Images

 Convex Mirror images – virtual, upright and

smaller than the object.
 Concave Mirror Images – real or virtual
(depending on the distance between the mirror
and the object).
 Larger, the same size or smaller
Type of Image formed by Concave Mirror at
Different Object Positions
Location of Location of Characteristics of Image
Object Images
Very far at At F Real, inverted, very small
infinity ( almost a point)
Beyond C Between C Real, inverted, smaller than the
and F object
At C At C Real, inverted, same size as the
object

Between C Beyond C Real, inverted, bigger than the

and F object
At F At Infinity No image formed because all
reflected rays are parallel
Between F Back of Virtual, upright , bigger than the
and V Mirror object
 Location of Location Orientation Size(same , Type of image
object Of image (Upright or reduced or
Inverted) enlarged)
A. Concave Between C Inverted reduced Real
1. Beyond C and F

2. At C At C Inverted Same size Real

3. Between C Beyond C Inverted Enlarged Real

and F

4. Between F Behind the Upright Enlarged Virtual

and V mirror

1. What happens to the size and location of the image

when you bring the flashlight nearer to the concave
mirror?
2. What type of image is formed in a concave mirror?
 Location of Location of Orientation Size(same , Type of image
object image (Upright or reduced or
Inverted) enlarged)
B. Convex Behind the Upright reduced Virtual
1. Farther mirror
than C in front
of the mirror
2. Between F Behind the Upright reduced Virtual
and V in front mirror
of the mirror

3. What type of image is formed in a convex mirror?

Conclusion:
What is the nature of the image formed by a convex and a
concave mirror?
SPHERICAL MIRROR & RAY
DIAGRAMMING
 The characteristics of the image
formed by a spherical mirror can be
determined using geometric optics.
 The method involves drawing rays
emanating from one or more points
on an object.
 The Law of Reflection applies and
certain key rays are defined.
 KEY RAYS
 Ray 1: A chief ray, or radial ray, is a
ray that is incident through the center
of curvature (C). This ray is reflected
back along its incident path, through
C.
Ray 2:A parallel ray is a ray that is
incident along a path parallel to the optic
axis and is reflected to the focal point (F).
 Ray 3: A focal ray is a ray that passes
through (or appears to go through) the focal
point and is reflected parallel to the optic
axis.
 Ray 4: A vertex ray is a ray passing through
the vertex of the mirror, is reflected at an
equal angle on the opposite side of the
principal axis.
Ray Diagramming:
DRAWING A RAY DIAGRAM FOR A CONCAVE MIRROR
Example 1
Draw a ray that travels
1 parallel to the axis
towards the mirror and
reflects through the focal
point in front of the mirror.

F F
2 Draw a ray that travels
through the focal point in
front of the mirror and
reflects parallel to the
axis.
DRAWING A RAY DIAGRAM FOR A CONCAVE MIRROR
Example 2
1

F F

Draw a ray that travels Draw a ray that reflects off

parallel to the axis
towards the mirror and 2 the centre of the mirror at
the same angle it was
reflects through the incident.
focal point in front of
the mirror.
CONCAVE MIRROR
(EXAMPLE)

•
F
optical axis

The first ray comes in parallel to the optical

axis and reflects through the focal point.
CONCAVE MIRROR
(EXAMPLE)

•
F
optical axis

The first ray comes in parallel to the optical axis

and reflects through the focal point.
The second ray comes through the focal point and
reflects parallel to the optical axis.
CONCAVE MIRROR
(EXAMPLE)

•
F
optical axis

The second ray comes through the focal point

and reflects parallel to the optical axis.
A real image forms where the light rays
CONCAVE MIRROR
(EXAMPLE 2)

•
F
optical axis
CONCAVE MIRROR
(EXAMPLE 2)

•
F
optical axis

The first ray comes in parallel to the optical

axis and reflects through the focal point.
 CONCAVE MIRROR
(EXAMPLE 2)

•
F
optical axis

The first ray comes in parallel to the optical axis and reflects
through the focal point.
The second ray comes through the focal point and reflects parallel
to the optical axis.
CONCAVE MIRROR
(EXAMPLE 2)

•
F
optical axis

The second ray comes through the focal point and

reflects parallel to the optical axis.
The image forms where the rays converge. But they
CONCAVE MIRROR
(EXAMPLE 2)

•
F
optical axis

A virtual image forms where the sight rays

converge.
DRAWING A RAY DIAGRAM FOR A CONVEX MIRROR
Example 1
1

F F
Draw a ray that travels Draw a ray that travels
parallel to the axis towards towards the focal point
the mirror and reflects in a behind the mirror and
direction that makes it look reflects parallel to the
like it originated at the focal axis.
point behind the mirror.
DRAWING A RAY DIAGRAM FOR A CONVEX MIRROR
Example 2
1

2
F F
Draw a ray that travels Draw a ray that travels
parallel to the axis towards towards the focal point
the mirror and reflects in a behind the mirror and
direction that makes it look reflects parallel to the
like it originated at the focal axis.
point behind the mirror.
 CONVEX MIRRORS
(CURVED OUT)

•
F
optical axis

Light rays that come in parallel to the optical axis reflect from
the focal point.
The focal point is considered virtual since sight lines, not light
rays, go through it.
CONVEX MIRROR
(EXAMPLE)

•
F
optical axis
CONVEX MIRROR
(EXAMPLE)

•
F
optical axis

The first ray comes in parallel to the optical axis

and reflects through the focal point .
 CONVEX MIRROR
(EXAMPLE)

•
F
optical axis

The second ray comes through the focal point and reflects
parallel to the optical axis.
 CONVEX MIRROR
(EXAMPLE)

•
F
optical axis

The light rays don’t converge, but the sight lines do.
 CONVEX MIRROR
(EXAMPLE)

•
F
optical axis

A virtual image forms where the sight lines converge.

 EXAMPLE
 Determine the image formed by (1) concave
mirror when the object is at the following
locations:
a) at C
b) between C & F
c) between F and the vertex of the mirror

(V)
2. Convex mirror : between C and F