Reflection of Light by Spherical Mirrors A spherical mirror is a curved surface that reflects light rays, causing them to converge or diverge depending o...
A spherical mirror is a curved surface that reflects light rays, causing them to converge or diverge depending on the distance of the object from the mirror. The mirror reflects all of the light that falls on it, regardless of the angle of incidence.
Key points about reflection:
Light rays hit the mirror at the same angle they hit the object. This is known as the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection.
The distance from the center of the mirror to the point where the reflected rays meet is called the focal length of the mirror.
The focal length of a spherical mirror is equal to the distance from the mirror to the image formed by the mirror.
If the object is placed at a distance greater than the focal length from the mirror, the image is formed behind the mirror.
If the object is placed at a distance less than the focal length from the mirror, the image is formed in front of the mirror.
Examples:
A concave mirror is used in shaving because it can focus light and make the hair appear longer.
A convex mirror is used in magnifying glasses because it can make an object appear closer.
A spherical mirror can be used to create a virtual image that appears to be located at a different position than the object.
Additional notes:
The reflection of light by a spherical mirror is an extension of the law of reflection for plane mirrors.
The focal length of a spherical mirror is also equal to the distance from the mirror to the focal point of the mirror.
The focal length of a spherical mirror is always positive