Mirrors, Lenses, and Rays Article

Introduction
Whenever light is reflected off a surface or refracted through a lens, it creates an image.
The image can be real or virtual, upright or inverted, larger, smaller, or the same size as the original,
depending on the shape of the mirror or lens.
Real Image vs Virtual Image
Real Image – image formed when rays of light intersect at
a single point in REAL space. A real image is always: visible
on a screen, paper, or even “mid-air”. They are always
inverted (appearing upside down).
Virtual Image – collection of focus points made by
extensions of diverging rays (single point NOT in real
space). A virtual image cannot be seen on screen /
projected and are always upright.

Flat Mirrors (aka plane mirrors)

Image Characteristics
Simplest type of mirror.
Upright: right side up.
Always produce upright, virtual images.
Inverted: upside down.
Image is always the same size as original and
Reduced: the image is smaller than the original object
appears to be the same distance from the
Enlarged: the image is larger than the original object.
mirror as the original object.
Practice Problem
Suppose you are 2.5 meters in front of your bathroom mirror.
1) How far away from you does your image appear?
a. Answer: 5.0 meters
2) What are the characteristics of your image?
a. Answer: Virtual, upright, same size
YouTube Video: Why do mirrors flip
Converging vs Diverging Lenses horizontally (but not vertically)?
Converging lenses – also called convex lenses. Thicker in the Channel: Physics Girl
middle and cause light to bend inward and come together at
a single point (focal point). Can produce both real and virtual images, which can be smaller, larger, or the same
size and upright or inverted
Diverging lenses – also called concave lenses. Thinner in the middle and cause light to bend outward. They can
ONLY produce virtual images. See diagram below-right for visual representation.
Image Equations
Practice Problem
An object that is 3 cm tall is placed 4 cm from a lens with a focal length of 2.5 cm. Find the distance, from the
lens, the image will form on a screen. Also find the height of the image and describe its orientation.
Step 1: We know this is a convex lens because it forms an image on a screen (concave lenses can only produce
virtual images). Let’s draw out the scenario.

Step 2: Find the distance the image will form on a screen. For this, we’ll use our first formula.
Focal Length → f = 2.5 cm 𝑓 −1 = 𝑑𝑖 −1 + 𝑑0−1
Object Distance → do = 4.0 cm 2.5−1 = 𝑑𝑖 −1 + 4.0−1
Image Distance → di = ? 2.5−1 − 4.0−1 = 𝑑𝑖 −1
(2.5−1 − 4.0−1 )−1 = 𝑑𝑖
̅̅̅̅ 𝐜𝐦 = 𝒅𝒊
𝟔. 𝟔𝟔

Step 3: Find the height of the image and describe its orientation.

Step 3a: Find Magnification

ℎ𝑖 −(𝑑𝑖 )
Object Distance → do = 4.0 cm 𝑀= =
ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜
−(𝑑𝑖 )
Image Distance → di = 6.67 cm 𝑀= 𝑑𝑜
−(6.67)
Magnification → M = ? 𝑀= 4.0
̅̅̅̅
𝑀 = −𝟏. 𝟔𝟔

Step 3b: Find Image Height

ℎ𝑖 −(𝑑𝑖 )
Object Height → Ho = 3.0cm 𝑀= =
ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜

ℎ𝑖
Image Height → Hi = ? M= ℎ𝑜

ℎ𝑖
Magnification → M = -1.67 −1.67 = 3.0

−1.67 x 3.0 = ℎ𝑖

𝒉𝒊 = −𝟓 𝐜𝐦

Step 4: Final Answer

The distance from the lens where the object will form on a screen is 6.67cm. The height of the image will be
5 cm and will be inverted. This makes since because the magnification is larger than 1 (therefore making the
image larger), and the magnification and height values are negative (both indicators that the image will be
inverted).