Spherical Mirrors: Image Formation with Concave Mirrors - Calculation Example

In summary, concave mirrors form images by reflecting light rays that come from an object, which then converge at a point known as the focal point. A real image is formed when the light rays actually converge at a point and can be projected onto a screen, while a virtual image is formed when the light rays appear to be coming from a point behind the mirror and cannot be projected. The magnification of an image formed by a concave mirror can be calculated by dividing the height of the image by the height of the object, with a positive sign convention for upright images and negative for inverted images. The relationship between the object distance, image distance, and focal length of a concave mirror is described by the mirror equation: 1/f =
  • #1
slyman
8
0
A concave mirror reflects an image of the Moon 6 cm form the mirror. If a coin is placed 8 cm from the same mirror, where will its image be?

I just want to make sure of something. Since the Moon is very far from the mirror, f is simply the image distance of the Moon. Therefore, all I have to do is plug in f=6 and the object distance=8 in the mirror equation to find the image distance.
 
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  • #2
Yeah. Thats right.
 
  • #3


Yes, that is correct. Since the Moon is at a very large distance compared to the radius of curvature of the mirror, we can assume that the focal length (f) is equal to the image distance for the Moon. Therefore, we can use the mirror equation, 1/f = 1/o + 1/i, where o is the object distance and i is the image distance, to find the image distance for the coin. Plugging in the given values, we get 1/6 = 1/8 + 1/i. Solving for i, we get i=24 cm. This means that the image of the coin will be formed 24 cm from the mirror.
 

FAQ: Spherical Mirrors: Image Formation with Concave Mirrors - Calculation Example

How do concave mirrors form images?

Concave mirrors form images by reflecting light rays that come from an object. These light rays bounce off the concave surface and converge at a point known as the focal point.

What is the difference between a real and virtual image formed by a concave mirror?

A real image is formed when the light rays actually converge at a point and can be projected onto a screen. A virtual image is formed when the light rays appear to be coming from a point behind the mirror and cannot be projected.

How do you calculate the magnification of an image formed by a concave mirror?

The magnification of an image formed by a concave mirror can be calculated by dividing the height of the image by the height of the object. The sign convention for magnification is positive for upright images and negative for inverted images.

What is the relationship between the object distance, image distance, and focal length of a concave mirror?

The relationship between the object distance (do), image distance (di), and focal length (f) of a concave mirror is described by the mirror equation: 1/f = 1/do + 1/di. This equation shows that as the object distance increases, the image distance decreases and vice versa. The focal length remains constant.

How does the size and orientation of the object affect the image formed by a concave mirror?

The size and orientation of the object directly affect the size and orientation of the image formed by a concave mirror. A larger object will result in a larger image, while a smaller object will result in a smaller image. The orientation of the object also determines whether the image will be upright or inverted.

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