Physics Reflection and Lenses

Reflection at Spherical Surfaces and by Lenses




Reflection at Spherical Surfaces and by Lenses



Reflection at Spherical Surfaces:

Reflection at spherical surfaces occurs when light interacts with curved mirrors, which can be

concave or convex.

The behavior of light depends on the shape of the mirror and the laws of reflection.



1. Types of Spherical Mirrors:

- Concave Mirror (Converging Mirror): The reflecting surface is curved inward, like the interior of a

sphere.

- Convex Mirror (Diverging Mirror): The reflecting surface is curved outward, like the exterior of a

sphere.



2. Key Terminology:

- Pole (P): The geometric center of the mirror's surface.

- Center of Curvature (C): The center of the sphere from which the mirror is a part.

- Radius of Curvature (R): The radius of the sphere from which the mirror is derived.

- Principal Axis: The line passing through the pole and center of curvature.

- Focus (F): The point where parallel light rays converge (concave) or appear to diverge (convex)

after reflection.

- Focal Length (f): The distance between the pole and the focus, given by f = R/2.



3. Mirror Equation and Magnification:

The relationship between object distance (u), image distance (v), and focal length (f) is: