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A mirror is a reflecting surface that is highly polished and smooth. Plane mirrors are the most commonly utilised form of mirrors. The spherical reflecting surface includes a spherical mirror. Concave mirrors and convex mirrors are the two types of spherical mirrors.
Mirror with a Spherical Shape
Because spherical mirrors have an uniform curve and constant radius of curvature, they provide a virtual or actual picture. It is divided into two varieties based on the surface painting of the spherical mirror:
Mirrors that are Concave
The reflecting surface of a concave mirror caves inwards. Light is virtually converged to a single focal point by the concave mirrors. They’re also known as converging mirrors because of this. These mirrors are used to focus light, and the size of the image generated by the concave mirror varies depending on the object’s position in relation to the mirror. The picture can take the form of a virtual or physical object. It all depends on the location of the object, whether it is upright or magnified and inverted, if it is the same size as the object or smaller.
Concave Mirror Characteristics
The following are the qualities of a concave mirror:
Because they converge light to a single focal point, concave mirrors are also known as converging mirrors. A magnified or virtual image is generated when the object is put very close to the concave mirror. When an object is put far away from a mirror, the size of the picture shrinks, resulting in a genuine image.
Concave Mirror Image Formation
In a concave mirror, different types of images are created depending on the distance between the mirror and the object. The object can be placed in one of the following ways:
a. When the object is positioned at an indefinite distance
b. When the object is placed outside of the centre of curvature
c. When the object is perfectly placed on the centre of curvature
d. When the object is positioned between the principal focus and the centre of curvature
a. When the object is on the principal focus.
f. When an object is positioned between the pole and the primary focus
Diagram of a Concave Mirror
The following is a ray diagram of concave mirrors based on the above-mentioned object placement:
Concave Mirror’s Applications
The following are some of the applications for concave mirrors:
a. Torches, car headlights, flashlights, and searchlights all use concave mirrors.
b. Concave mirrors are used in shaving mirrors to see a larger image of the face.
c. Concave mirrors are also used by dentists to see a larger image of the patient’s teeth.
d. Large concave mirrors are used to concentrate sunlight in solar furnaces to produce heat.
Mirrors that are convex
The convex mirror is a curved mirror with a reflective surface that bulges out towards the light source’s position. Convex mirrors are not utilised for focusing light since they tend to reflect light in an outwards direction, diverging light beams. The picture is upright, fictitious, and smaller than the thing, but as the object approaches the mirror, it grows larger. Diverging mirrors are another name for these mirrors.
Convex Mirror Characteristics
The following are the properties of convex mirrors:
a. Because they reflect light outwards, convex mirrors are also known as diverging mirrors.
b. They don’t focus light on a single focal point.
c. The convex mirror always generates virtual, reduced, and erect pictures, regardless of the distance between the item and the mirror.
Convex Mirror Image Formation
Convex mirrors always produce a virtual and upright image. The following are the several sorts of object placement in a convex mirror:
–> When a thing is put at infinity, it is said to be infinite.
–> When an object is put between the pole and infinity, it is said to be between the pole and infinity.
Diagram of a Convex Mirror
The following are the convex mirror ray diagrams based on the image positioning indicated above:
Convex Mirror’s Applications
The following are some of the applications of the convex mirror:
a. Convex mirrors are commonly used in vehicles as rear-view (wing) mirrors.
b. Convex mirrors are typically seen on the sides of automobiles, allowing the driver to view traffic or vehicles approaching from behind.
c. We can see a considerably greater area or object in a convex mirror than we can in a plane mirror.
What Does a Concave and Convex Mirror Mean?
The following are the main distinctions between concave and convex mirrors:
a. The outer side of the spherical mirror will be silvered in the concave mirror. The inner side of the spherical mirror will be silvered in the convex mirror.
b. A virtual or real picture can be formed by a concave mirror. Only erect and virtual images can be formed by a convex mirror.
c. A simulated or real image will be produced based on the object’s positioning in case of a concave mirror. Regardless of the object’s position, a convex mirror produces only fictitious and erect representations.
Conclusion
The reflecting surface of a concave mirror caves inwards. Light is virtually converged to a single focal point by the concave mirrors. The convex mirror is a curved mirror with a reflective surface that bulges out towards the light source’s position.
