The Purpose of this experiment was to explore the image formed by both a convex and concave mirror. Concave and convex mirrors are both considered spherical mirrors and both behave differently than a traditional plane mirror. One of the most apparent differences is in the distortion of the height and distance of the image.
Method and Results:
Objects were held in from of both a concave and convex mirror at separate times. The object was moved in front of the mirror and inspected at different distances and orientations. Next ray diagrams were constructed form each of the mirrors.
Convex Mirror
With the convex mirror the focal point is located on the inside of the mirror and this is on the opposite side of the reflected light rays. This leads for the image to be on the inside of the mirror leading to a virtual image. The closer the object is to the mirror the larger the image will be to the extent that if the image is close to the mirror the image will be larger than the image.
S= 6.20 cm s= 1.95 cm
H= 3.10 cm h= 0.75 cm
Concave Mirror
With a concave mirror the results are different. The main result is that the image is on the same side as the outgoing rays making them a real image. This image is inverted so long as the distance of the object is grater than the focal point which in this type of mirror is located on the same side as the object.
H= 11.40 cm h= 3.30 cm
Conclusion:
In conclusion the behavior of light rays in spherical mirrors is much different than in plane mirrors. The image can be virtual or real. The image can be erect or inverted. The height of the object can vary drastically. a majority of these differences occur due to the addition of the center of curvature which in a plane mirror goes to infinity and is no longer important leading to a simplified equation for light ray behavior.
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