3/21/2017 TheAnatomyofaCurvedMirror

ReflectionandtheRayModelofLightLesson3ConcaveMirrors

TheAnatomyofaCurvedMirror
TheAnatomyofaCurvedMirror
ReflectionofLightandImageFormation
TwoRulesofReflectionforConcaveMirrors
RayDiagramsConcaveMirrors
ImageCharacteristicsforConcaveMirrors
TheMirrorEquation
SphericalAberration

Thusfarinthisunit,ourfocushasbeenthereflectionoflightoffflatsurfacesandtheformationof
imagesbyplanemirrors.InLessons3and4wewillturnourattentiontothetopicofcurvedmirrors,
andspecificallycurvedmirrorsthathavea spherical
shape.Suchmirrors
arecalledsphericalmirrors.Thetwotypesofsphericalmirrorsare
showninthediagramontheright.Sphericalmirrorscanbethoughtof
asaportionofaspherethatwasslicedawayandthensilveredononeof
thesidestoformareflectingsurface.Concavemirrorsweresilvered
ontheinsideofthesphereandconvexmirrorsweresilveredonthe
outsideofthesphere.InLesson3wewillfocusonconcavemirrorsand
inLesson4wewillfocusonconvexmirrors.
Beginningastudyofsphericalmirrorsdemandsthatyoufirstbecomeacquaintedwithsometerminology
thatwillbeperiodicallyused.Theinternalizedunderstandingofthefollowingtermswillbeessential
duringLessons3and4.
Principalaxis CenterofCurvature Vertex
FocalPoint RadiusofCurvature FocalLength
Ifaconcavemirrorwerethoughtofasbeingasliceofasphere,thentherewouldbealinepassing
throughthecenterofthesphereandattachingtothemirrorintheexactcenterofthemirror.Thisline
isknownastheprincipalaxis.Thepointinthecenterofthespherefromwhichthemirrorwassliced
isknownasthecenterofcurvatureandisdenotedbytheletterCinthediagrambelow.Thepointon
themirror'ssurfacewheretheprincipalaxismeetsthemirrorisknownasthevertexandisdenotedby
theletterAinthediagrambelow.Thevertexisthegeometriccenterofthemirror.Midwaybetweenthe
vertexandthecenterofcurvatureisapointknownasthefocalpointthefocalpointisdenotedby
theletterFinthediagrambelow.Thedistancefromthevertextothecenterofcurvatureisknownas
theradiusofcurvature(representedbyR).Theradiusofcurvatureistheradiusofthespherefrom
whichthemirrorwascut.Finally,thedistancefromthemirrortothefocalpointisknownasthefocal
length(representedbyf).Sincethefocalpointisthemidpointofthelinesegmentadjoiningthevertex
andthecenterofcurvature,thefocallengthwouldbeonehalftheradiusofcurvature.

Thefocalpointisthepointinspaceatwhichlightincidenttowardsthemirrorandtravelingparallelto
theprincipalaxiswillmeetafterreflection.Thediagramattherightdepictsthis
principle.Infact,ifsomelightfromthesunwerecollectedbyaconcavemirror,then
itwouldconvergeatthefocalpoint.Becausethesunissuchalargedistancefromthe
Earth,anylightraysfromthesunthatstrikethemirrorwillessentiallybetraveling
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paralleltotheprincipalaxis.Assuch,thislightshouldreflectandpassthroughthe
3/21/2017 TheAnatomyofaCurvedMirror

focalpoint.AcommonPhysicsdemonstrationinvolvesusingalargedemonstrationmirrortosetapencil
aflameinamatterofseconds.Inthedemonstration,thepencilisplacedatthefocalpointandthe
concavemirroris pointed
upwardstowardsthesun.Whateverraysoflightfromthesunthathitthe
mirrorarefocusedatthepointwherethepencilislocated.Tothesurpriseofmany,theheatis
sufficienttoignitethepencil.Wow!

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