OPTICS
MIRRORS
REFLECTION OF LIGHT
• REFLECTION – THE TURNING
BACK OF AN
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE AT
THE SURFACE OF A SUBSTANCE
CLEAR VS. DIFFUSE REFLECTION
• SPECULAR REFLECTION:
LIGHT REFLECTED FROM
SMOOTH SHINY SURFACES
• IN SPECULAR REFLECTION
THE INCOMING AND
REFLECTED ANGLES ARE
EQUAL (=’)
Diffuse reflection: light
is reflected from a
rough textured surface
PART 2 - REFLECTION
• REFLECTION FROM A MIRROR:
Normal
Incident ray Reflected ray
Angle of incidence Angle of
reflection
Mirror
REFLECTION
• WE DESCRIBE THE PATH OF LIGHT AS STRAIGHT-
LINE RAYS
• REFLECTION OFF A FLAT SURFACE FOLLOWS A
SIMPLE RULE:
• ANGLE IN (INCIDENCE) EQUALS ANGLE OUT
(REFLECTION)
surface normal
• ANGLES MEASURED FROM SURFACE “NORMAL”
same exit ray
(PERPENDICULAR)
incident ray angle reflected ray
REFLECTION VOCABULARY
• REAL IMAGE –
• IMAGE IS MADE FROM “REAL”
LIGHT RAYS THAT CONVERGE AT A
REAL FOCAL POINT SO THE IMAGE
IS REAL
• CAN BE PROJECTED ONTO A
SCREEN BECAUSE LIGHT
ACTUALLY PASSES THROUGH THE
POINT WHERE THE IMAGE APPEARS
• ALWAYS INVERTED
REFLECTION VOCABULARY
• VIRTUAL IMAGE–
• “NOT REAL” BECAUSE IT
CANNOT BE PROJECTED
• IMAGE ONLY SEEMS TO BE
THERE!
HALL MIRROR
• USEFUL TO THINK IN TERMS OF IMAGES
“real” you
mirror only “image” you
needs to be half as
high as you are tall. Your
image will be twice as far from you
as the mirror.
LEFT- RIGHT REVERSAL
AMBULANCE
FLAT MIRRORS
• IMAGE IS VIRTUAL, UPRIGHT, UNMAGNIFIED
CONVEX MIRRORS
• CURVES OUTWARD
• REDUCES IMAGES
• VIRTUAL IMAGES
• USE: REAR VIEW MIRRORS,
STORE SECURITY…
CAUTION! Objects are closer than they
appear!
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CONCAVE MIRRORS
• CURVES INWARD
• MAY BE REAL OR
VIRTUAL IMAGE
FOR A REAL OBJECT BETWEEN F AND THE MIRROR, A VIRTUAL IMAGE IS
FORMED BEHIND THE MIRROR. THE IMAGE IS UPRIGHT AND LARGER THAN
THE OBJECT.
For a real object between C and f, a real image
is formed outside of C. The image is inverted
and larger than the object.
For a real object at C, the real image is
formed at C. The image is inverted and the
same size as the object.
For a real object close to the mirror but outside
of the center of curvature, the real image is
formed between C and f. The image is inverted
and smaller than the object.
What size image is formed if the
real object is placed at the focal
point f?
For a real object at f, no image is formed. The
reflected rays are parallel and never converge.
DISTANCE GREATER THAN
FOCAL LENGTH
CONCAVE SPHERICAL MIRROR
Object’s distance Type of Image Location of
Image
Greater than Real and inverted In front of
focal length mirror
At the focal Image is infinitely away from mirror
length and can’t be seen
Between focal Virtual and Behind mirror
point and mirror’s upright
surface
DISTANCE = FOCAL LENGTH
CONCAVE SPHERICAL MIRROR
Object’s distance Type of Image Location of
Image
Greater than Real and inverted In front of
focal length mirror
At the focal Image is infinitely away from mirror
length and can’t be seen
Between focal Virtual and Behind mirror
point and mirror’s upright
surface
BETWEEN FOCAL LENGTH AND
MIRROR
CONCAVE SPHERICAL MIRROR
Object’s distance Type of Image Location of
Image
Greater than Real and inverted In front of
focal length mirror
At the focal Image is infinitely away from mirror
length and can’t be seen
Between focal Virtual and Behind mirror
point and mirror’s upright
surface
RULES FOR DRAWING
REFERENCE RAYS
Ray Line drawn from object to Line draw from
mirror mirror to image
after reflection
1 Parallel to principal axis Through focal
point F
2 Through focal point F Parallel to
principal axis
3 Through center of curvature Back along itself
C through C
RAY 1
RULES FOR DRAWING REFERENCE
RAYS
Ray Line drawn from object to Line draw from
mirror mirror to image
after reflection
1 Parallel to principal axis Through focal
point F
2 Through focal point F Parallel to
principal axis
3 Through center of curvature Back along itself
C through C
RAY 2
RULES FOR DRAWING REFERENCE
RAYS
Ray Line drawn from object to Line draw from
mirror mirror to image
after reflection
1 Parallel to principal axis Through focal
point F
2 Through focal point F Parallel to
principal axis
3 Through center of curvature Back along itself
C through C
RAY 3
ALL THREE RAYS TOGETHER
