REFLECTION OF LIGHT
A highly polished surface, such as a mirror, reflects most of the light falling on it. You are already familiar with the laws of reflection of light.
Let us recall these laws –
(i) The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, and
(ii) The incident ray, the normal to the mirror at the point of incidence and the reflected ray, all lie in the same plane.
These laws of reflection are applicable to all types of reflecting surfaces including spherical surfaces. You are familiar with the formation of image by a plane mirror. What are the properties of the image? Image formed by a plane mirror is always virtual and erect. The size of the image is equal to that of the object. The image formed is as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it. Further, the image is laterally inverted.
How would the images be when the reflecting surfaces are curved? Let us explore.
Activity 10.1
- Take a large shining spoon. Try to view your face in its curved surface.
- Do you get the image? Is it smaller or larger?
- Move the spoon slowly away from your face. Observe the image. How does it change?
- Reverse the spoon and repeat the Activity. How does the image look like now?
- Compare the characteristics of the image on the two surfaces.
The curved surface of a shining spoon could be considered as a curved mirror. The most commonly used type of curved mirror is the spherical mirror. The reflecting surface of such mirrors can be considered to form a part of the surface of a sphere. Such mirrors, whose reflecting surfaces are spherical, are called spherical mirrors. We shall now study about spherical mirrors in some detail.
View Comments (1)
Merely wanted to point out I truly enjoy your work on this blogging site and the high quality posts you make. These type of posting are usually what keeps me personally going through the day time. I discovered this post right after a great buddy of my very own advised it to me. I perform a little blogging and site-building personally and I am always thankful to check out others adding good quality information towards the online community. I will absolutely be following and have bookmarked your website to my personal bebo account for others to see.