Reflection and Curved Mirrors

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the concepts, terms, definitions, and equations related to spherical, concave, and convex mirrors.

Concave mirror

An inwardly curving reflective surface whose edges curve toward the observer, like the inside of a bowl.

Convex mirror

An outwardly curving reflective surface whose edges curve away from the observer, like the back of a spoon.

Curvature

A measure of how much the mirror surface is curved.

Converge

The coming together of light rays at a single point.

Diverge

The spreading apart of light rays as they travel away from each other.

Principal axis

The straight imaginary line passing through the center of curvature and the mirror's vertex or pole, perpendicular to the mirror surface.

Focal point ($F$)

The point where rays parallel to the principal axis meet after reflecting off a concave mirror, or appear to spread from behind a convex mirror.

Focal length ($f$)

The distance measured between the mirror's surface (pole) and the focal point, equal to half of the radius of curvature ($f = \frac{r}{2}$).

Center of curvature ($C$)

The center of the imaginary hollow sphere of glass of which the spherical mirror surface forms a section.

Radius of curvature ($r$)

The radius of the imaginary sphere from which a curved mirror is cut, equal to twice the focal length ($r = 2f$).

Real image

An image formed by the actual convergence of reflected light rays that can be projected on a screen; it is typically inverted and located in front of the mirror.

Virtual image

An image formed where reflected light rays only appear to intersect; it cannot be projected on a screen, appears behind the mirror, and is upright.

Spherical aberration

An optical defect causing an image to appear blurry or lose resolution because rays striking near the outer edges of a spherical mirror do not converge at the exact same focal point as central rays.

Mirror equation

The formula expressing the relationship among focal length ($f$), object distance ($x_o$), and image distance ($x_i$): $\frac{1}{f} = \frac{1}{x_o} + \frac{1}{x_i}$.

Magnification ($m$)

A measure of the size of an image relative to the size of the object, calculated using $m = \frac{h_i}{h_o} = -\frac{x_i}{x_o}$.

SALT

An acronym used to systematically describe the properties of an optical image: Size (smaller, same, larger), Attitude (upright, inverted), Location, and Type (real, virtual).

Parabolic mirror

A curved mirror with a parabolic cross-section designed to bring all incoming parallel rays to a sharp focus at a single focal point, eliminating spherical aberration.

Field of view

The observable area visible in a mirror; convex mirrors provide a wider field of view by diverging reflected light rays, which makes them useful for blind spots and safety mirrors.