The Setup
Imagine an object that is 4.00 cm tall placed 18.0 cm in front of a concave mirror with a focal length of 20.0 cm. What happens to the image formed by the mirror in this scenario?
Image Location
When an object is placed in front of a concave mirror, the light rays coming from the object converge at a certain point, known as the focal point. In this case, the object is placed beyond the focal length of the mirror, so the image formed will be real and inverted. The image will be located between the focal point and the mirror, at a distance greater than twice the focal length.
Characteristics of the Image
Size: The image formed will be smaller than the object, due to the converging nature of the mirror.
Orientation: The image will be inverted, meaning top will be at the bottom and vice versa.
Real: The image is formed where the actual light rays converge, making it a real image that can be projected onto a screen.
Understanding the location and characteristics of images in concave mirrors can help in various optical applications, such as designing telescopes, cameras, and magnifying glasses.
