Conceptual Physics

(Sean Pound) #1

Ray 3 starts at C. It passes by the penguin’s head and reflects back through C.


In Concept 5, you see all three rays in the same diagram. The real rays do not converge; to locate a point of convergence we must use the
virtual rays shown in the illustration.


The point where the virtual rays converge, behind the mirror, is where the top of the image is located. We show the image in Concept 6. It is
upright, larger than the object, and virtual.


When you look at yourself in a concave makeup mirror, you put your face within its focal point to see a magnified image of yourself.


Ray 3


Passes through center of curvature


Virtual rays


Extend rays backward through mirror


Image


Upright, larger, virtual


31.13 - Ray tracing: a convex mirror


In this section, we construct a ray-tracing diagram for the image created by a convex mirror. The focal point and the center of curvature are
alwaysbehind the reflecting surface of a convex mirror. We use three rays with the same essential properties as before, modifying their
construction to compensate for the fact that the two points are on the opposite side of the mirror from the object.


What will be the nature of the


image?


Copyright 2007 Kinetic Books Co. Chapter 31^585

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