Light Mirrors and Lenses

Light!
Mirrors and Lenses

Learning Targets
At the end of the lesson, I can
1. define reflection and refraction;

2. differentiate reflection from refraction;
3. predict the qualitative characteristics of images
formed by plane and curved mirrors; and
4. Identify ways in which the properties of mirrors
and lenses determine their use in optical
instruments.
Essential Questions
1.What implications does

the study of light tell us?
2. How is our life affected

by light energy?
Facts about Light
• It is a form of Electromagnetic Energy
• It is a part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum and the only
part we can really see
Facts about Light
The speed of light, c, is constant in a vacuum.
Light can be:

•REFLECTED
•ABSORBED
•REFRACTED
Light is an electromagnetic wave in that it has wave

like properties which can be influenced by electric and
magnetic fields.
The Law of “REFLECTION”
The Law of Reflection states that- " the angle of
incidence (incoming ray) equals the angle of
reflection (outgoing ray)"
The law works for

FLAT, PLANE
surfaces only.
The angles are

measured from a
perpendicular line
to the surface
called NORMAL.
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)
– angles measured from surface “normal” (perpendicular)
surface normal
same exit ray
incident ray angle reflected ray
UCSD: Physics 8; 2006
Spring 2006 8
Spring 2006 9
Plane Mirror
Suppose we had a flat , plane mirror mounted vertically. A candle is
placed 10 cm in front of the mirror. WHERE IS THE IMAGE OF
THE CANDLE LOCATED?
mirror
On the surface of the mirror?
Behind the mirror?
Same side as the object?

Plane Mirror
Suppose we had a flat , plane mirror mounted vertically. A candle is
placed 10 cm in front of the mirror. WHERE IS THE IMAGE OF
THE CANDLE LOCATED?
mirror Virtual Image
Virtual Images
Virtual Images are basically images which cannot be
visually projected on a screen.
If this box gave off
light, we could
project an image of
this box on to a
screen provided the
screen was on the
SAME SIDE as the
box.
You would not be able to project the
image of the vase or your face in a
mirror on a screen, therefore it is a
virtual image.
CONCLUSION: VIRTUAL IMAGES are ALWAYS on the
OPPOSITE side of the mirror relative to the object.
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!
Virtual Images in Plane Mirrors
Rays seem to come from behind

the mirror, but, of course, they
don't. It is virtually as if the rays
were coming from behind the
mirror.
"Virtually": the same as if
As far as the eye-brain system is

concerned, the effect is the same
If light energy doesn't flow from the
image, the image is "virtual".
as would occur if the mirror were
absent and the chess piece were
actually located at the spot labeled
"virtual image".
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
Spring 2006 18
Curved mirrors
• What if the mirror isn’t flat?
– light still follows the same rules, with local surface normal
• Parabolic mirrors have exact focus
– used in telescopes, backyard satellite dishes, etc.
– also forms virtual image
0
82a425d7
Concave Mirrors
• Curves inward
• May be real or virtual image
Real Image
Real Images are ones you can project on to a screen.
For MIRRORS they always appear on the SAME SIDE of the mirror as the object.
The characteristics of
the image, however,
may be different from
the original object.
object
These characteristics
are:
•SIZE
image (reduced,enlarged,sam
e size)
•POSITION (same side,
opposite side)
•ORIENTATION (right
What if the mirror isn’t flat?
side up, inverted)
Spherical Mirrors – Concave & Convex
Also called DIVERGING mirror Also called CONVERGING mirror

Converging (Concave) Mirror
A converging mirror is one that is spherical in nature
by which it can FOCUS parallel light rays to a point
directly in front of its surface. Every spherical mirror
can do this and this special point is at a “fixed”
position for every mirror. We call this point the
FOCAL POINT. To find this point you MUST use
light from “infinity”
Light from an
“infinite” distance,
most likely the
sun.
Converging (Concave) Mirror
Since the mirror
is spherical it
technically has a
CENTER OF
CURVATURE, C.
The focal point
happens to be
HALF this
distance.
We also draw a line C

through the center of the f 
2
mirror and call it the
PRINCIPAL AXIS. C 2f
Ray Diagram
A ray diagram is a pictorial representation of how the
light travels to form an image and can tell you the
characteristics of the image.
object C f Principal axis
Rule One: Draw a ray, starting from the top of the object,
parallel to the principal axis and then through “f” after
reflection.
Ray Diagrams
object C f
Principal axis
Rule Two: Draw a ray, starting from the top of the object,
through the focal point, then parallel to the principal axis
after reflection.
Ray Diagram – Image Characteristics
object C f
Principal axis
After getting the intersection, draw an arrow down from the principal
axis to the point of intersection. Then ask yourself these questions:
1) Is the image on the SAME or OPPOSITE side of the mirror as the

object?
2) Is the image ENLARGED or REDUCED?
3) Is the image INVERTED or RIGHT SIDE UP?
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.
Spring 2006 33
Convex Mirrors
• Curves outward
• Reduces images
• Virtual images
–Use: Rear view mirrors, store
security…
CAUTION! Objects are closer than they
appear!
Refraction
• Light also goes through some things
– glass, water, eyeball, air
• The presence of material slows light’s progress
– interactions with electrical properties of atoms
• The “light slowing factor” is called the index of refraction
– glass has n = 1.52, meaning that light travels about 1.5 times
slower in glass than in vacuum
– water has n = 1.33
– air has n = 1.00028
– vacuum is n = 1.00000 (speed of light at full capacity)
Refraction at a plane surface
• Light bends at interface between refractive indices
– bends more the larger the difference in refractive index
n1 = 1.0
n2 = 1.5
B
Convex Lenses
Thicker in the center than
edges.
– Lens that converges
(brings together) light
rays. The Magnifier
– Forms real images
and virtual images
depending on position
of the object
Concave Lenses
• Lenses that are
thicker at the edges
and thinner in the
center.
– Diverges light rays The De-Magnifier
– All images are
erect and reduced.
How You See
• Near Sighted – Eyeball is

too long and image focuses
in front of the retina
• Near Sightedness –
Concave lenses expand
focal length
• Far Sighted – Eyeball is too
short so image is focused
behind the retina.
• Far Sightedness – Convex
lense shortens the focal
length.
Cameras, in brief
object pinhole
image at
film plane
In a pinhole camera, the hole is so small that light hitting any particular point
on the film plane must have come from a particular direction outside the camera
object image at
film plane
lens
In a camera with a lens, the same applies: that a point on the film plane
more-or-less corresponds to a direction outside the camera. Lenses have
the important advantage of collecting more light than the pinhole admits

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Light!

Mirrors and Lenses

1. define reflection and refraction;

1.What implications does

2. How is our life affected

Light can be:

Light is an electromagnetic wave in that it has wave

The law works for

The angles are

On the surface of the mirror?

Behind the mirror?

Same side as the object?

Rays seem to come from behind

"Virtually": the same as if

As far as the eye-brain system is

mirror only “image” you

Also called DIVERGING mirror Also called CONVERGING mirror

We also draw a line C

object C f Principal axis

1) Is the image on the SAME or OPPOSITE side of the mirror as the

For a real object at f, no image is formed. The

• Near Sighted – Eyeball is

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