Physics Curved Optics

The blurriness of an image caused by the curvature of a mirror.

Spherical aberration

The centre of a curved lens.

Optical centre

The centre of a curved mirror.

Pole

The distance between the centre of curvature and the edge of the mirror.

Radius of curvature

The distance between the focus and the edge of the

mirror or lens.

Focal length

The focus on the same side of the lens as the incident

light.

Virtual focus

The focus on the same side of the lens as the refracted light.

Real focus

The image has the same orientation as the object.

Upright

The image is formed by real light rays and can be seen on a screen.

Real image

The image is formed by virtual light rays and can only be seen by looking into the mirror or through the lens.

Virtual image

The image is larger when compared to the object.

Enlarged

The image is smaller when compared the object.

Diminished

The image is upside down when compared to the

object.

Inverted

A lens from which all incident parallel rays are all

refracted through a single point

the focus of the lens.

A lens from which all incident parallel rays are refracted spreading away from the lens.

Diverging lens

A mirror from which all incident parallel rays are

reflected spreading away from the mirror.

Diverging mirro

A mirror from which all incident parallel rays are

reflected through a single point, the focus of the mirror.

Converging mirror

A ray that can be used to locate the image of an object.

Principal ray