Experiment 111

Spherical Mirrors
Names of Group Members Part in the Activity Score

LEADER:

Grading Rubrics SCORE

Table 1 (20 points)
Table 2 (20 points)
Safe Assign (5 points)
Presentation (5 points)

TOTAL (50 points)

DATE OF EXPERIMENT

Prof. Ramil R. Jimenez

Instructor
INTRODUCTION
 Mirrors reflect light regularly and can form images. There are three kinds of mirrors: plane,
concave, and convex mirrors. A concave mirror is also called a converging mirror because it reflects light
rays such that they converge in front of the mirror (Figure 1a). A concave mirror can form real and
virtual images depending on the object distance. A convex mirror is also called a diverging mirror
because it reflected rays are diverging (Figure 1b). A convex mirror can only form virtual images that are
erect, smaller than the object, and located behind the mirror.

In this experiment, you are going to use a concave mirror to locate real images. You will also
compute the focal length of the mirror using the mirror equation.

Figure 1a. Concave Mirror 1b. Convex Mirror

OBJECTIVES:
1. To compute the focal length of a concave mirror using the mirror equation.
2. Describe the image formed by a convex mirror.

MATERIALS:

 oPhysics Virtual Lab

 Video Experiment

Part 1. Image Formed by a Convex Mirror

 1. Open the virtual lab link. Click and drag the object to the right side of the mirror so that it is
facing the convex surface.
2. Drag the focus to any of the following points: - 2 cm, -3 cm, or -4 cm. Choose just one because
that will be your focal length for the three trials. Record this in Table 1.
3. Set the height of the object to any of the following values: 2 cm, 3 cm, or 4 cm. Choose just one
because that will be your object height for the three trials. Record this in Table 1.
4. Set the object distance to do = f, do = 2f, and do = 3f. Complete Table 1.
5. Get a screenshot of all trials.
Part 2. Image Formed by a Concave Mirror
1. Open the link E111 Video Experiment. This is a video experiment that I performed to get the
focal length of a concave mirror for different object positions.
2. Watch the video and carefully take note of the data I collected and fill up Table 2. The object
height is already given (ho = 4.5 cm)

Table 1. Image Formed by a Convex Mirror

Object Image Object Image
TRIAL focal length distance distance height height
(f) ( do ) ( di ) ( ho ) ( hi )
1. do = f cm cm cm cm cm
2. do = 2f cm cm cm cm cm
3. do = 3f cm cm cm cm cm
NOTE: do is always positive, so disregard the sign of f when multiplying.
Screenshot (all trials):
Computations (di and hi) (all trials):
Analysis of Data:
Conclusion:
Table 2. Image Formed by a Concave Mirror
Object Image focal Object Image M1 M2
TRIAL distance distance length height height hi /ho di /do
( do ) ( di ) (f) ( ho) ( hi )
1 cm cm cm 4.5 cm cm
2 cm cm cm 4.5 cm cm
3 cm cm cm 4.5 cm cm
NOTE: Disregard the signs for M1 and M2 and compare only their magnitudes.
Computations: f, M1, and M2 (Trial 1 only):
Analysis:
Conclusion: