Reflection of Light at Curved surfaces
## Reflection of Light at Curved Surfaces **Reflection of light at curved surfaces** is the bouncing back of light when it falls on a **curved reflecting surface**, such as a spherical mirror. Curved mirrors are mainly of two types: 1. **Concave mirror** – reflecting surface is curved inward. 2. **Convex mirror** – reflecting surface is curved outward. ### Important Terms * **Pole (P):** The centre of the reflecting surface of the mirror. * **Centre of Curvature (C):** The centre of the sphere of which the curved mirror is a part. * **Radius of Curvature (R):** The distance between the pole and centre of curvature (**PC**). * **Principal Axis:** The straight line passing through the pole and centre of curvature. * **Principal Focus (F):** The point where rays parallel to the principal axis meet or appear to meet after reflection. * **Focal Length (f):** The distance between the pole and principal focus (**PF**). For a spherical mirror: **R = 2f** ### Concave Mirror A concave mirror **converges** parallel rays of light. After reflection, the rays meet at the principal focus. **Uses:** shaving mirrors, dentist mirrors, headlights, and reflecting telescopes. ### Convex Mirror A convex mirror **diverges** parallel rays of light. The reflected rays appear to come from the principal focus behind the mirror. **Uses:** rear-view mirrors in vehicles and security mirrors because they provide a **wide field of view**. ### Laws of Reflection Reflection at curved surfaces follows the same two basic laws: 1. **The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.** 2. **The incident ray, reflected ray and normal at the point of incidence lie in the same plane.** **In short:** A **concave mirror converges light**, while a **convex mirror diverges light**. The position and nature of the image depend on where the object is placed relative to the focus and centre of curvature.
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- School year
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- Uploaded on
- August 18, 2026
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- 2018/2019
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- Swathi
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