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5.2 Using Mirrors to Form Images

All mirrors reflect light according to the law of reflection. Plane mirrors form an
image that is upright and appears to be as far behind the mirror as the object is in
front of it. Depending on the distance of the object, a concave mirror can form an
image that is inverted or right side up, and that can be larger or smaller than the
object. Convex mirrors form images that are upright and smaller than the object.

You can see yourself as you glance into a quiet pool of water or walk
Key Terms
past a shop window. You can see unusual reflections of yourself in the
concave wavy mirrors at amusement parks. You can even see reflections of
converging yourself in a spoon. Most of the time, however, you probably look for
convex your image in a flat, smooth mirror called a plane mirror.
diverging
focal point

5-6 Reflections of Reflections Find Out ACTIVITY

In this activity, you will find out how many reflections 2. Lay one mirror on top of the other with the
you can see in two plane mirrors. mirror surfaces inward. Tape them together so
they will open and close. Use tape to label them
Materials “L” (left) and “R (right).”
• 2 plane mirrors • masking tape 3. Stand the mirrors up on a sheet of paper. Using a
• protractor • paper clip protractor, close the mirrors to an angle of 72°.
Safety 4. Bend one leg of a paper clip up 90° and place it
close to the front of the R mirror.
5. Count the number of images of the clip you see in
the R and L mirrors. Record these numbers in your
• Handle glass mirrors and bent paper clips carefully. data table.
6. Hold the R mirror still. Slowly open the L mirror to
90°. Count and record the images of the paper clip
in each mirror.
7. Hold the R mirror still. Slowly open the L mirror to
120°. Count and record the images of the paper
Count the images in each mirror. clip in each mirror.

What Did You Find Out?

What to Do 1. What is the relationship between the number of
1. Create a table to record your data. Give your table reflections and the angle between the two mirrors?
a title. 2. How could you use two mirrors to see a reflection
of the back of your head?

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Plane Mirrors
Looking at yourself in a plane mirror, you can see that your image
appears to be the same distance behind the mirror as you are in front
Did You Know?
of the mirror. How could you test this? Place a ruler between you and The mirror on the Hubble
Space Telescope is one of the
the mirror. Where does the image touch the ruler? You also see that
smoothest mirrors ever made.
your image is oriented as you are and matches your size. This type of
If the mirror were as large as
reflection is where the expression “mirror image” comes from. If you Earth, the biggest bump on it
move toward the mirror, your image moves toward the mirror. If you would be only 15 cm tall.
move away, your image also moves away.
How do reflected rays form an image that we can see in a mirror?
Study Figure 5.14 to answer this question. Light from a lamp shines
on a blueberry. This light reflects off all points on the blueberry, in
all directions. In the figure, only the rays coming from one point are
shown. All of the rays from the blueberry that strike the mirror reflect
according to the law of reflection. The rays that reach your eye appear
to be coming from a point behind the mirror. The same process occurs
for every point on the blueberry. Your brain “knows” that light travels
in straight lines. Therefore, your brain interprets the pattern of light
that reaches your eye as an image of a blueberry behind the mirror.
In fact, it might even be possible to trick the observer into thinking
the blueberry was behind a glass window, rather than in front of a
very good mirror. A house of mirrors uses this trick to create a maze.

object plane mirror image

Figure 5.14 Only a small fraction of the light reflecting from an object enters the eye of the observer.

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Image size and distance

Another important feature of images in plane mirrors is demonstrated
in Figure 5.15. Rays are shown coming from three different points on
the bird. These rays reflect off the mirror and back to the bird’s eye.

Figure 5.15 We know that what

e we see in a mirror is just an
image. However, a pet bird will
chatter for hours to a “friend” in
the mirror.

bird image of bird

plane mirror

Notice that the points appear to be coming from behind the

mirror. Each point appears to be coming from a point that is as far
behind the mirror as the real point is in front of the mirror. Also
notice that the three points are exactly the same distance apart in the
image as they are on the object, the bird. These observations explain
why an image in a plane mirror is the same size as the object and
appears to be the same distance from the mirror as the object.

Image orientation
image object A plane mirror produces an image with
the same orientation as the object. If
you are standing on your feet, a plane
mirror produces an image of you
standing on your feet. If you are doing
a headstand, the mirror shows you
doing a headstand. However, there is a
difference between you and the
appearance of your image in the mirror.
Follow the sight lines in Figure 5.16.
The ray that diverges from the right
mirror
hand of the boy converges at what
appears to be the left hand of his
Figure 5.16 When the boy blinks his right eye, the left eye of his image. Left and right appear to be
image blinks. reversed by a plane mirror.

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Concave Mirrors focal

point
A concave mirror is a mirror that curves inward. Concave mirrors,
like plane mirrors, reflect light rays to form images. The difference is
that the curved surface of a concave mirror reflects light in a unique
way. As shown in Figure 5.17, parallel light rays bounce off the
curved surface of a concave mirror and then meet at a single point
called the focal point. Light rays that are coming together at a focal
point are described as converging.
The image formed by a concave mirror depends on how far the
object is from the focal point of the mirror (see Figure 5.18). If a
distant object is reflected in a concave mirror, its image is small and Figure 5.17 Light rays collected
upside down. As the object approaches the focal point, its image by a concave mirror converge on
a focal point before spreading
remains inverted but gets ever larger. If the object is between the focal
out again.
point and the mirror, then the image appears to be larger than the
object and is upright.
Concave mirrors have many uses (see Figure 5.19). If a bright
light is placed at the focal point, then all the light rays bounce off the
mirror and are reflected parallel to each other. This makes an intense,
focussed beam of light. Spotlights, flashlights, lighthouses, and car
headlights use this kind of mirror. The largest telescopes all use
concave mirrors to collect light because the mirror concentrates the
light so effectively. Shaving mirrors and make-up mirrors are also
concave mirrors. They form an enlarged, upright image of a person’s
face so it is easier to see small details.

object
focal point
(a)
A

object

focal point
(b)
B

object
focal point
(c)
C

Figure 5.18 The image formed by a concave Figure 5.19 The boy is between the concave mirror and its focal point.
mirror depends on how far away the object is.

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Convex Mirrors
A convex mirror is a mirror that curves outwards. Convex mirrors also
reflect light rays to form an image, but they do so in an opposite way
to concave mirrors. A convex mirror reflects parallel light rays as if they
came from a focal point behind the mirror (see Figure 5.20). Light
focal
point rays that spread apart after reflecting are described as diverging. The
image formed is always upright and smaller than the actual object.
The reflection from a convex mirror has two main characteristics:
1. Objects appear to be smaller than they are.
2. More objects can be seen in a convex mirror than in a plane
Figure 5.20 The reflected rays mirror of the same size.
from a convex mirror diverge and Security mirrors, such as those in convenience stores, are large
do not meet.
convex mirrors. Convex mirrors make it possible to monitor a large
region of the store from a single location. Convex mirrors can also
widen the view of traffic that can be seen in rearview or side-view
mirrors of automobiles. However, because distances and sizes seen in
a convex mirror are not realistic, most convex side-view mirrors carry
a printed warning that the objects viewed are closer than they appear
to be (see Figure 5.21).

Suggested Activity
Conduct an Investigation 5-7
on page 187

A B

Find out about the centre Figure 5.21 Convex mirrors are used in stores as security mirrors (A), and in cars as rearview
of curvature and radius of and side-view mirrors (B).
curvature for a concave lens.
What is the relationship
between the radius of Reading Check
curvature and the focal
1. What size does the image in a plane mirror appear to be?
length? If a person stands
at the centre of curvature in 2. What distance from the mirror does an image in a plane mirror
front of a large concave appear to be?
mirror, where will his or her 3. How is a concave mirror shaped differently from a plane mirror?
image form and what will be 4. What are some uses for concave mirrors?
its size and orientation? Visit 5. How is a convex mirror shaped differently from a plane mirror?
www.bcscience8.ca. 6. What are some uses for convex mirrors?

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5-7 Observing Images Conduct an INVESTIGATION

Inquiry Focus

Skill C h e c k A ray box can cast several light rays at the same time. This helps to visualize
• Observing how an image is changed as light rays are reflected from a curved mirror.
• Communicating
Question
• Explaining systems
How is an image affected when light rays from an object bounce off a
• Evaluating information
curved mirror?

Procedure
1. Use a ray box to shine several light rays at a concave mirror. Observe how
Materials the rays are affected. Make a diagram of the ray paths.
• ray box 2. Hold the concave mirror directly in front of you at arm’s length and view
• convex mirror your own reflection. Bring the mirror gradually closer to one eye and
observe as the image of your eye disappears. Keep moving the mirror closer
• concave mirror
until the image of your eye reappears. Record your observations.
• ruler
• protractor 3. Shine the ray box at a convex mirror and observe how the rays are affected.
Make a diagram of the ray paths.
4. Hold the convex mirror directly in front of you at arm’s length and view your
own reflection. Bring the mirror gradually closer to one eye. Observe the
image. Keep moving the mirror closer until the image of your eye reappears.
Record your observations.

Analyze
1. (a) Explain how the orientation of the image of your eye changes as the
concave mirror gets closer to your eye.
(b) Explain why there is a certain point at which the image of your eye
disappears completely.
2. (a) Do the light rays reflecting off the convex mirror ever cross each other?
Explain.
(b) Explain why your image never disappears and never flips over as you
bring the convex mirror close to your eye.
3. Does the angle of incidence equal the angle of reflection in the case of
curved mirrors?

Conclude and Apply

1. Mirrors are placed behind the light in car headlight systems to reflect the
light ahead of the car. Explain why a concave mirror would be more useful
for this purpose than a convex mirror.
2. Explain why an object appears farther away than it really is when the object
is viewed through a convex mirror.

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Mirrors in Time and Space Mirrors designed to go into space have a special
restriction: they must be lightweight. If you have ever
Have you looked at yourself in a mirror today? tried to lift a large sheet of glass or a mirror, you will
Ever since the first humans gazed at their images in know that large amounts of glass are very heavy. The
a pond, mirrors have been used to tell us something first optical space telescope was the Hubble Space
about ourselves. Telescope, which was launched into space in 1990.
The most ancient manufactured mirrors known are Mirrors are now available that are 10 times lighter
about 8000 years old and were found in Turkey. These than the one used in Hubble.
mirrors were made of obsidian, which is a hard, black You probably know that aluminum is much less
glass produced from molten sand in the fiery heart of dense than iron, which is why aluminum is commonly
volcanoes and shot out of the volcano during eruptions. used in aircraft. Beryllium is a metal that is even less
The glass was gathered and polished. In later ages in dense than aluminum, and research is under way to
the ancient world, copper, make mirrors completely out of this metal.
bronze, and other metals
were used for mirrors. The mirrors on space telescopes do not only look
Because the metals out into space. More and more, we turn the mirrors
could be melted and around and point them back at Earth. We can use
then poured out, they mirrors on space telescopes to measure the growth
formed very flat of cities, the destruction of rain forests, and the
surfaces. Metal mirrors melting of glaciers. We can also see the majesty of our
were also resistant to planet and the potential for preserving and improving
breakage. our environment. We humans have come a long way
from gazing into a pond. Have you looked at your
Earth in the mirror today?
This Roman mirror
was made over
2000 years ago.
Questions
Roman artisans made mirrors by covering one side
of a piece of glass with gold or silver, or mixtures of 1. What are some advantages of a metal mirror
metals such as mercury and tin. Sharp, well-defined, compared to one made of glass?
reflected images were not possible until 1857, when 2. Mirrors located in orbit are in microgravity,
Jean Foucault, a French scientist, developed a method which means they weigh almost nothing. Why,
of coating glass with silver. High quality, inexpensive then, is it important to construct mirrors from
mirrors did not become available until around 1900 materials like beryllium that are light in weight?
when it became possible to make large amounts of
3. List five reasons (other than the ones listed in
extremely flat plate glass.
the article) why it might be useful to be able to
Modern mirrors are produced by evaporating see images of our Earth from space.
aluminum or silver onto highly polished glass. Clear
reflections in modern, optical instruments require
smooth surfaces compared to the wavelengths
being reflected.

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Checking Concepts 10. Design and label an arrangement of mirrors

to do each of the following:
1. Describe how your image changes as you
(a) see over the top of a fence without
move closer to:
having to raise your eyes above the top
(a) a plane mirror
of the fence
(b) a concave mirror
(b) read a book by reflected light without
(c) a convex mirror
having the words backwards in a
2. One side of a soupspoon is convex and the
“mirror image”
other is concave. Imagine you are having
(c) collect and concentrate the Sun’s light
soup and you lift the spoon out of the soup
into a small space and then conduct the
bowl, holding some soup. Is the part of the
light around two corners to a
spoon touching the soup convex or concave?
solar panel
3. Do convex and concave mirrors obey the law
of reflection? Explain.
4. Explain the difference between divergent and
convergent light rays. P ause and R eflect
5. Draw and label a mirror that produces:
(a) divergent light rays When you look across a lake, you might see
(b) convergent light rays the reflection of the distant mountains and
6. Suppose you find a shiny metal bowl that has trees in the water. The image of the trees
been left outside in the sunlight. and mountains appears to be upside down.
(a) Are you more likely to see the reflection However, when you look straight down at
of direct sunlight by viewing the outside the surface of the lake, you see an upright
or the inside of the bowl? reflection of yourself. Why would your image
(b) Is it more dangerous to look at the be upright while the image of the mountains
is upside down?
outside or the inside of the bowl? Explain.

Understanding Key Ideas

7. Why is an image in a plane mirror the same
size as the object that is reflected?
8. List several uses of:
(a) plane mirrors
(b) concave mirrors
(c) convex mirrors
9. (a) Draw a ray diagram that shows an
arrangement of mirrors that would allow
you to see the back of your own head.
Draw the diagram as if looking down
from above. The rays should leave the
back of your head and end in your eye.
Show the normal and angles of incidence
and reflection.
(b) Will left and right be reversed in the
image? Explain.

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