Mirror Equations

Mathematical Method of Locating the Image Mirror Equation Section 17.2

Magnification Magnification shows how much larger or smaller an image is relative to the object. Magnification Section 17.2

Magnification A negative magnification means that the image is inverted. If the object the magnification is less than 1 it means that the image is smaller than the object. If the magnification is greater than 1 the image is larger than the object. Section 17.2

Sign Conversions Concave Mirror= do = positive di= + for real images; - for virtual images f= Positive m= + upright; neg or positive if inverted Convex Mirrors= do= Positive di= negative f= negative m= postive Section 17.2

Spherical Aberration An intrinsic defect with any spherical mirror. This defect prohibits the mirror from focusing all the incident light from the same location on an object to a precise point. This is most noticeable for light rays striking the outer edges of the mirror. Section 17.2

Parabolic Mirror A mirror with a parabolic curve instead of a spherical one, these mirrors do not have spherical aberrations and all parallel rays of light will be reflected to the same focal point. Section 17.2

Practice Problem 1 A 2 cm high object is placed 7.1 cm from a concave mirror whose radius of curvature is 10.2 cm. Find the position of the image and its size. Section 17.2

Practice Problem 2 An object is placed 6 cm in front of a concave mirror that has a 10 cm focal length. Determine the location of the image. If the object is 1.2 cm high, find the image height. Section 17.2

Practice Problem 3 A convex mirror is used to reflect light from an object placed 65 cm in front of the mirror. The focal length of the mirror is 45 cm. Find the location of the image and its size relative to the object. Section 17.2