Mada za sehemu hiiLightMada 5
- Reflection of Light from Curved Mirrors
- Refraction of Light
- Refraction of Light by Rectangular Prism
- Colours of Lights
- Refraction of Light by Lenses
Light is a form of energy, which controls the sense of vision.
Concave and convex mirrors
Concave mirror is a spherical mirror whose reflecting surface is curved inwards. A Good example is the driving mirror of a car.
Convex mirror is a spherical mirror whose reflective surface is curved outwards. A good example of a convex mirror is a shaving mirror.
General demonstrations of convex and concave mirrors (curved mirrors:
Terms used in studying curved mirrors
- Centre of curvature (C):the center of the sphere of which a mirror is a part of.
- Radius of curvature (R): the radius of sphere of which a mirror is a part.
- Pole (P): the central point of the reflecting surface of spherical mirror (curved or convex mirror).
- Principal axis: the straight line joining the center of curvature (C) and the pole (P).
- Principal focus (F): the point O the principal axis where light rays tend to intersect. This point is between center of curvature and the pole.
- Principal axis: the straight line joining the center of curvature (C) and the pole (P).
- Principal focus (F): the point on the principal axis where light rays tend to intersect. This point is between center of curvature and the pole.
Case 1
When a beam of light parallel and very close to the principal axis, CL, is reflected from a concave mirror, it converges to a point, F, on the principal axis called the principal focus.
Case 2
When a ray passes through the principal focus, F, it is reflected parallel to the principal axis.
Case 3
When a ray passes through the center of curvature, C, which therefore strikes the mirror at normal incidence; it is reflected back along its original path.
Note: Concave mirrors have a real focus because light passes through the focus.
The formation of images by concave mirror tends to change as the position of object changes.
Case 1: Image (I) formed by a concave mirror when the object is beyond C
Properties of images formed:
- The image is between C and F
- The image is smaller than the object
- The image is inverted (upside down)
- The image is real
Case 2: The object is placed at C
Properties of image
- The image is formed at C
- The image has the same size as object
- The image is inverted (upside down)
- The image is real.
Case 3: The object is placed between C and F
Properties of image formed
- The image is real
- The image is large than object
- The image is formed beyond C
- The image is inverted (upside down)
- The image is real
- The image is large than object
- The image is formed beyond
- The image is inverted (upside down)
Case 4: The object is placed at F
Properties of image:
- The image is formed at infinity (x)
- The image is formed beyond C
- The image is large than object
- The image is Real
Case 5: The object is placed between F and P
Properties of image formed:
- The image is virtual
- The images is upright
- The image is formed behind the mirror
- The image is large than the object
Formation of images in a convex mirror:
Obviously, there is only one kind of image formed when an object is placed at any position.
Properties of image formed by convex mirror:
- The image is virtual
- The image is upright
- The image is smaller than object (diminished)
- The image is formed behind the mirror.
An object 2cm long is erected 8cm in front of a concave mirror of radius of curvature 10cm. By using a scale drawing, determine the position, size and nature of image formed.
Data given
Height of object, Ho = 2cm Object distance, U= 8cm Radius of curvature, r = 10cm Focal length, f =8cm
Choose suitable scale. Say 1cm represents 5cm
From this scale then
Height of object, Ho = 2cm Object distance, U= 2cm Focal length, F = 2.5cm
Thus,
Image distance, V = X Image Height, H1=Y
Focal length (f) is the distance between the principal focus and the pole.

Curved mirrors are used as:
- Driving mirrors
- Shaving mirrors
- Reflectors
Mwalimu
Unasoma somo hili? Niulize nikuelezee chochote kilichomo.
Ingia ili kumuuliza Mwalimu wa AI wa Sonza kuhusu mada hii.
Ingia ili kuuliza