Mirrors are reflective surfaces that can create virtual images. There are two main types of mirrors, plane mirrors and curved mirrors. Curved mirrors are further classified into concave and convex mirrors. These mirrors have different reflective surfaces that impact the image formed. It is important to identify these mirrors correctly, as they have different applications in various fields.
Concave Mirrors
A concave mirror is a spherical mirror with a reflecting surface that curves inward. The reflecting surface is the inner side of the sphere. A concave mirror has the following characteristics:
- The center of curvature is behind the mirror surface.
- The radius of curvature is positive.
- The focal length is positive.
- It is a converging mirror.
When an object is placed in front of a concave mirror, the image formed depends on the distance of the object from the mirror. If the object is beyond the focal point, a real, inverted image is formed. If the object is between the focal point and the mirror, a virtual, upright, and magnified image is formed.
Convex Mirrors
A convex mirror is a spherical mirror with a reflecting surface that curves outward. The reflecting surface is the outer side of the sphere. A convex mirror has the following characteristics:
- The center of curvature is behind the mirror surface.
- The radius of curvature is positive.
- The focal length is negative.
- It is a diverging mirror.
When an object is placed in front of a convex mirror, the image formed is always virtual, upright, and smaller in size than the object.
Differences between Concave and Convex Mirrors
The main difference between concave and convex mirror are:
- The reflective surface of a concave mirror curves inward, while the reflective surface of a convex mirror curves outward.
- Concave mirrors converge light, while convex mirrors diverge light.
- Concave mirrors can form both real and virtual images, while convex mirrors only form virtual images.
Mirrors are used in our daily lives for various purposes such as grooming, checking our appearance, and in scientific experiments. Mirrors come in different shapes and sizes, but two of the most commonly used mirrors are concave and convex mirrors. These mirrors have different reflective surfaces, which can impact the image formed. In this article, we will discuss how to identify concave and convex mirrors.