Mirrors and
Reflections
Mirrors
• Highly polished
surface made of
glass coated on
one surface with
silver or
ould be Flat or Curved
Types of Mirrors:
• Plane Mirrors
- Mirrors that has flat
surfaces.
- Bathroom, Store Display
• Spherical
Mirrors Mirrors
- Mirrors that has curved surfaces.
- Security Mirrors (Malls)
Reflection
The bouncing of
light that occurs
when light hits a
boundary or a
barrier of another
medium and in this
Angle of Incidence
• This is the angle that forms when
the incident ray and reflected
ray creates a somewhat of a V-
shaped or a triangle-like flight
path.
Laws of Angle of Incidence
1. The incident, reflected, and
normal ray on the reflecting
surface all lie on the same plane.
1. The angle of incidence is equal
to the angle of reflection
θi = θr (Angle of incidence is equal to the angle
of reflection)
Types of Reflection
• Specular Reflection
- Light-reflecting objects that
reflect objects on an orderly
pattern
• Diffuse Reflection
- Rays of light that are scattered
on many directions when they hit
a rough surface (Rock/Wood)
Types of Images
• Real Images
- Images that are formed by “real” or by actual
rays of light
- These can be formed or projected through a
screen or by using a pinhole camera (Small
Virtual Images
opening)
•
- These are images created by apparent rays or
light (Light that meets at a point or converges
at a given location)
- Unlike real images, these cannot be projected
on a screen.
Image Formation in Plane
Mirrors
• Lateral Inversion
- This is the phenomenon that happens
where an image appears to be reversed
from left to right.
• Law of Plane Mirrors
-di = do
- This law states that when rays of light (Distance of the image =
strike a plane mirror, they reflect in a way Distance of the object)
that follows the laws mentioned before.
- Images formed by a plane mirror are
Si = So
(Size of the Image = Size
always the same as the object but just of the object)
Image Formation in Spherical
Mirror
• Concave Mirrors
- Mirrors that have its surface curved inwards. It
reflects light in a single point or location
- Also known as Converging Mirrors
1. Real Focus - Real rays of light converges on a
single point or also known as the Focus
• Convex Mirrors
- Type of mirror with its surface curved outwards.
This is the opposite of the concave mirror as it
scatters light in all directions.
- Also known as Diverging Mirrors
1. Virtual Focus - Apparent rays of light that
meet then diverges are called Virtual Focus
Formation
• Center of Curvature (C)– Center of the
Sphere
• Radius of Curvature (R)– Radius of the
• Vertex
Whole (V) – Center and middle portion of
Sphere
the mirror surface
• Principal Axis - This is the “center line”
where it passes through the vertex and the
center of the
• Aperture (MN)curvature
- Opening where incident rays
pass through a small hole
• Principal Focus (F) - Point where the principal
axis and incident rays meet after they are
reflected
• Focal Length (f) - Distance between the
Principal focus and the center of the
Ray Diagramming (Spherical Mirrors)
• Ray 1 - Incident ray parallel to the
principal axis and is reflected through the
principal focus
• Ray 2 - Passes through the center of the
curvature and is reflected back along itself
• Ray 3 - Passes through the principal
focus and is reflected to the parallel axis
• Ray 4 - Strikes the vertex and is reflected
symmetrically to the principal axis
mage Formation (Concave)
1. Object at an Infinite Distance
- When an object is at an infinite distance
to the concave mirror, the light rays
produces a real and inverted image
that is located at the principal focus
2. Object Located beyond the Center of the
It produces a smaller than the object yet real
-Curvature
and inverted image. It is located at the center
of curvature and the principal focus
3. Object located at the Center of the
-Curvature
Forms an image that is the same size as the
object. It is located the center of the
curvature
mage Formation (Concave)
4. Object located between the Center of the
Curvature and the Principal Focus
- Produces an image that is larger and
inverted than the object. It is located at
the center of curvature
5. Object at the Principal Focus
- Produces no image because the rays of light
do not converge
6. Object located between the principal
focus and the vertex
- Forms, not a real image, but a virtual one
because it produces an image behind the
mirror that is larger and more upright.
Image Formation (Convex)
Convex Mirrors
-Produces an image that is
smaller but upright than the
object itself. As we get closer to
the mirror, the size increases but
can never be the same size as
the object.
