Understanding Image Formation in Concave Mirrors: Real, Inverted, and Magnified Images

You have a concave mirror, the object is placed in between the center of curvature and the focal point. Where is the image?

If the object is placed in between the center of curvature and the focal point of a concave mirror, the resulting image will be formed on the same side as the object, behind the mirror

If the object is placed in between the center of curvature and the focal point of a concave mirror, the resulting image will be formed on the same side as the object, behind the mirror. The image will be real, inverted, and magnified.

To understand why this happens, let’s look at the basic principles of reflection in a concave mirror. Concave mirrors are curved inward, meaning they have a reflective surface that curves inward towards the center. The center of curvature (C) is the midpoint of the mirror’s curve, while the focal point (F) is located halfway between the center of curvature and the mirror’s surface.

When an object is placed in between the center of curvature and the focal point, its distance from the mirror is less than the focal length (f), which is half the distance between the center of curvature and the mirror’s surface. In other words, the object is located within the focal length of the mirror.

In this scenario, the rays of light emitted by the object reflect off the mirror’s surface and converge towards a point. This point is the image of the object. Since the object is located closer to the mirror than the focal point, the reflected rays will converge at a point behind the mirror, forming a real image.

Furthermore, concave mirrors have the ability to create magnified images. This means that the size of the image will be larger than the size of the object. The exact size of the magnification depends on the object’s distance from the mirror and the specific characteristics of the mirror itself.

In summary, when an object is placed between the center of curvature and the focal point of a concave mirror, the resulting image will be formed on the same side as the object, behind the mirror. The image will be real, inverted, and magnified.

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