SPHERICAL

MIRRORS
• WHAT ARE SPHERICAL
MIRRORS?

• HOW ARE THEY USED BY

THE SOCIETY?

• WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF

SPHERICAL MIRRORS?

• WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF

SPHERICAL MIRRORS?

• IMAGE FORMATIONS OF
CONCAVE AND CONVEX
MIRRORS.
WHAT ARE SPHERICAL MIRRORS?
SPHERICAL MIRRORS CAN BE SAID TO BE PARTS OF A SPHERE WHICH ARE
EITHER CONCAVE ( BENDING INSIDE) OR CONVEX (BENDING OUTSIDE) FROM
THEIR REFLECTING SURFACES. SPHERICAL MIRRORS DO NOT PRODUCE
REGULAR IMAGES LIKE PLANE MIRRORS BUT INSTEAD THEIR IMAGES ARE
MOSTLY IRREGULAR IN TERMS OF SIZE, POSITION AND MUCH MORE.

SPHER CONVE CONCAV

E X E
 USES OF SPHERICAL MIRRORS

• SPHERICAL MIRRORS SUCH AS CONCAVE MIRRORS ARE USED IN

HEADLIGHTS, TORCHES AND DISH ANTENNAS.

• CONVEX MIRRORS ARE USED IN REAR VIEW MIRRORS, SHOPS ( TO

KEEP A CHECK ON CUSTOMERS ) AND ALSO IN ROADS WITH BLIND
TURNS.

• CONCAVE MIRRORS ARE USED BY DOCTORS TO CONCENTRATE LIGHT

ON THE PATIENTS TO EXAMINE THEM. THE ARE ALSO USED BY
DENTISTS TO MAGNIFY THE IMAGE OF THE TEETH OF THE PATIENTS IN
ORDER TO FIX THEM AND THEY ARE ALSO USED IN SOLAR FURNACES
TO PROVIDE HEAT.
 TYPES OF SPHERICAL
MIRRORS
CONCAVE CONVEX

• CONCAVE MIRRORS ARE THE • CONVEX MIRRORS ARE THE

MIRRORS WHICH ARE BENT
INWARDS. THESE MIRRORS
FORM A CAVE LIKE
STRUCTURE AT THE
REFLECTING SURFACE OF THE
MIRROR.
MIRRORS WHICH ARE BENT
OUTWARDS. THESE MIRRORS
FORM A SEMI BALL
STRUCTURE AT THE
REFLECTING SURFACE OF
THE MIRROR.

• CONCAVE MIRRORS MOSTLY • CONVEX MIRRORS MOSTLY

FORM REAL AND MAGNIFIED FORM VIRTUAL AND
IMAGES. DIMINISHED IMAGES.
 PARTS OF SPHERICAL MIRRORS

CONVE
M
X
POLE (P) FOCUS CENTRE OF
(F) CURVATURE (C)
P A
PRINCIPAL AXIS (PA)

FOCAL
N LENGTH
(f) RADIUS OF
CURVATURE (R)
CONCAV
E M

CENTRE OF FOCUS POLE (P)

CURVATURE (C) (F)
P A
PRINCIPAL AXIS (PA)

FOCAL
LENGTH N
(f) RADIUS OF
CURVATURE (R)
IMAGE FORMATIONS IN
CONCAVE MIRROR
M
A

(P)
P B A
(C) (F)

M
A

(P)
P B A
(C) (F)

N
 M
A

(P)
P B` B A
(C) (F)

N
A`

M
A

B (P)
P B` A
(C) (F)
A`

N
 M
A

(P)
P B B` A
(C) (F)
A`

(P)
P A
(C) (F)

N
CONVEX
M

A (P) A`

P B
B`
A
(F) (C)

N
M

(P)

P A
(F) (C)