Images in Curved Mirrors 11.

9
Term
Concave (converging) Mirror - The reflective surface bulges away from you.

Convex Mirror - The reflective surface bulges toward you.

Centre of Curvature - The point found in the centre of the “sphere” that would form
a curved mirror.

Principal Axis - The line through the centre of curvature to the midpoint of the
mirror.

Vertex - The point where the principal axis meets the mirror.

Focus - The point where parallel light rays reflected off a curved mirror come
together.

Real Image - An image that can be seen on a screen as a result of light rays
actually arriving at the image location.

1. Ray of light which is parallel to the principal axis passes through the focus
after reflection.
2. Ray of light passing through the centre of curvature is reflected back along
same path.
3. Ray of light passing through the focus after reflection becomes parallel to the
principal axis (Opposite of #1).
4. Ray of light which is incident at the pole of a concave mirror is reflected back
making the same angle with the principal axis.

Textbook #1,2, 4-10 (p. 501)

1. List examples of how concave or convex mirrors might be used at your school.
* Concave mirrors can be used in science class for things like microscopes.
* Convex mirrors can be used in side mirror for school buses

2. Describe the difference between a real image and a virtual image.

* Virtual image only “seems” like the image exists behind, but real image really
exists behind.

4. In your own words, state the imaging rules for concave mirrors.
5. Ray of light which is parallel to the principal axis passes through the focus
after reflection.
6. Ray of light passing through the centre of curvature is reflected back along
same path.
7. Ray of light passing through the focus after reflection becomes parallel to the
principal axis (Opposite of #1).
8. Ray of light which is incident at the pole of a concave mirror is reflected back
making the same angle with the principal axis.

5. You are looking at your image in a makeup or shaving mirror. Where is your head
located with respect to the focus.
* Between the Vertex and Focus

6. Why will a diverging (convex) mirror never produce a real image? Include a
diagram in your explanation
* Real reflected rays always always meet to create a real image. In a diverging
mirror, the reflected rays diverge and never meet, making it a virtual image.

7. Examine the image formed by the mirror in Figure 14.

1. What kind of mirror is this?
* Convex Mirror
2. Where is this image located?
* Behind
3. What type of image is it?
* Virtual

8. Copy Figure 15 into your notebook. Locate the image for each object and state
its characteristics.

9. What is the relationship between the type and the attitude of an image?
* If the attitude of image is inverted, the type of image would be real and if the
attitude of image is upright, the type of image would be virtual.

10.
1. Why are convex mirrors placed on sharp turns in parking garages?
* So that people can see the sides that they can’t see with their eyes. Also using
concave mirrors would give them inversed image so convex mirrors are used.
2. State other uses for convex mirrors.
* Side mirrors.