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Lesson: Chapter 5 — Optics

5.2.3. Reflection at a convex mirror 2 of 2

Images in a convex mirror

However far from a convex mirror you hold your face, you see a small, upright, virtual image of it.

Activity 5.3

You will need: a convex mirror, a stand, a candle

  • Repeat Activity 5.2 with a convex mirror in place of the concave one.

The observation

For no position of the candle can its image be caught on a screen. The image is seen only by looking into the mirror towards the candle — and wherever the candle is, the image is small, upright and virtual.

An object in front of a convex mirror; the ray parallel to the axis and the ray towards C both reflect outwards; traced back, dashed, they meet behind the mirror between P and F at a small upright image.

After Figure 5.23. The image always lies behind the mirror, between the pole and the focus.

Always the same kind of image

Wherever the object is, a convex mirror forms an image that is smaller than the object, upright and virtual. That is exactly what a vehicle's side mirror needs.