1. Mirrors
By: Bailey Griggs and Katie Kennedy

2. Objectives
• Mirrors
o Distinguish between Concave and Convex
mirrors.
o Describe a simple ray diagram.
o Distinguish between real and virtual images.

3. Mirrors Outline
• Types of Mirrors
o Convex
o Concave
o Spherical
o Parabolic
• Convex Mirrors
o How light reflects
o Examples

4. Mirrors
• Concave
o How light reflects
o Examples
• Simple Ray Diagram
o Explanation and Examples
• Real vs. Virtual Images
o Real Images
o Virtual Images
• Demonstrations
• Evaluation Questions

5. We are going to explore how concave
and convex mirrors work along with
describing the simple ray diagrams that
go along with each one. We will also
discuss the real and/or virtual images
that both of these mirrors produce.

6. Different Types of Mirrors
Convex
Concave
Spherical
Parabolic

7. Straight or Plane mirror

9. Concave

10. Concave
• Reflection
• Curved inward reflective surface
• Used to magnify
• Produces Real and Virtual Images
o depend on object’s distance from the
surface of the mirror and the focal length.

12. Convex

13. Convex
• Reflection
• Image is small or reduced in size
• Image is upright
• Image is located behind the convex
mirror
• Image is always virtual

15. Convex- smaller image
Concave- magnified image

17. Simple Ray Diagram
• Tool used to determine
o location
o size
o orientation
o type of image formed
Real or Virtual
•

18. • Straight/
Plane mirror
• Extended
Reflected
Rays make
up image
• Behind the
mirror

19. Simple Ray Diagram for Concave
Mirrors
Whether the image is upside-down or rightside up
depends of the distance you are from the mirror
and the focal length of each mirror.

20. Simple Ray Diagram for Convex
Mirrors

23. Real vs. Virtual Images
•
•
Virtual image
o Object is less than the focal length of the mirror
o Can only be seen by looking at the mirror, not
projected
Real Image
o object is further than focal length of mirror
o Can be projected and everyone in the room can look
at it

24. Demonstration Time!

25. Evaluation Questions

26. Evaluation Question #1
Which mirror produces an image behind
the mirror, Concave or Convex?
Convex

27. Evaluation Question #2
True or False: Concave mirrors are used to
magnify images.
True

28. Evaluation Question #3
A _____________ mirror takes a large
space and makes it small.
Convex

29. Evaluation Question #4
An image that is produced that is less than
the focal length of the mirror is a
______________ image.
Virtual

30. Evaluation Question #5
A ______________ image can be
projected.
Real

31. Evaluation Question #6
Label the diagram with Concave or
Convex with the correct image.
Concave Mirror
Convex Mirror

32. Evaluation Question #7
The point at which the extensions of the
reflected rays intersect is the _________
of the image being produced.
a. Bottom
b. Top
c. Center

33. Evaluation Question #8
Concave mirrors produce:
a. Real Images
b. Virtual Images
c. Both

34. Bibliography
Flinn, G. (n.d.). HowStuffWorks "Types of Mirrors". HowStuffWorks "Science". Retrieved October
21, 2013, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/mirror3.htm
Flinn, G. (n.d.). HowStuffWorks "Types of Mirrors". HowStuffWorks "Science". Retrieved October
21, 2013, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/mirror3.htm
Henderson, T. (n.d.). Reflection and Image Formation for Convex Mirrors. The Physics Classroom.
Retrieved October 21, 2013, from http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refln/u13l4a.cfm
Hewitt, P. G. (2002). Conceptual physics: the high school physics program. Needham, Mass.:
Prentice Hall.
Moore, C. (n.d.). Concave and Convex Mirrors. More House. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from
https://www.morehouse.edu/facstaff/cmoor