OPTICS: MIRRORS

NAME: __________________________________________ 10- ____________________ DATE: _________________

A. Multiple Images
The figure on the right shows 3 images of a toy car in front of two mirrors at 90°.
The number of images (N) can be determined using this formula:
N= (360/ANGLE BETWEEN TWO MIRRORS)-1.
Parallel mirrors on the other hand, produced infinite number of images.

Using the formula above, fill in the table below:

ANGLE BETWEEN TWO NUMBER OF IMAGES

MIRRORS FORMED
180°
120°
90°
60°
45°
30°
15°
B. Mirror Equation

1 1 1
= +
f p q
Where:
f=focal length or distance from the mirror and the focal point, F.
p=distance of the object from the mirror
q=distance of the image from the mirror.

SAMPLE PROBLEM: (Concave Mirror)

A 5.00 cm light bulb is placed at a distance of 45.0 cm from a concave mirror having a focal length of 10.5 cm.
Determine the image distance and the image size.

Visualize:
10.50 cm
5.00 cm
F

45.00 cm

GIVEN REQUIRED
Height of the object h = 5.00 cm Distance of the image q = ?

Distance of the object p = 45.0 cm Height of the image h’ = ?

Focal length f = 10.5 cm

FORMULA

1 1 1 h’ -q
= + =
f p q h p
 SOLUTION for q SOLUTION for h’
1 1 1 h’ -13.7 cm
= + =
10.5 cm 45.0 cm. q 5.00 cm 45.0 cm.

1 1 1 5.00 cm (-13.7 cm)

- = h’ =
10.5 cm 45.0 cm. q 45.0 cm.

45.0 cm - 10.5 cm 1
= -68.5 cm
(10.5 cm) (45.0 cm) q h’ =
45.0 cm.

34.5 cm 1
= h’ = -1.52 cm
472.5 cm q

472.5 cm q
= The negative value for image
34.5 cm 1
height indicates that the image is
13.70 cm = q
an inverted image.

PRACTICE: Solve the following problem:

#1 What is the image distance and image height if a 7.00 cm tall box is placed 30.0 cm from a concave mirror having a
focal length of 10.00 cm?

GIVEN REQUIRED
Height of the object h =
Distance of the object p =
Focal length f =
FORMULA

SOLUTION for q SOLUTION for h’

#2 A magnified, inverted image is located at a distance of 30.0 cm from a concave mirror with a focal length of 15.0 cm.
What is the object distance?

GIVEN REQUIRED
Distance of the p =
object
Focal length f =
FORMULA

SOLUTION for q

SAMPLE PROBLEM: (Convex Mirror)

What is the focal length of a convex mirror that produces an image that appears 15.0 cm behind the mirror
when the object is 27.5 cm from the mirror?
15.00 cm
Visualize:
27.50 cm

F C

GIVEN REQUIRED
Distance of the q = 15.0 Focal length f = ?
image cm
Distance of the p = 27.5
object cm
Focal length f = 10.5
cm
 FORMULA
1 1 1
= +
f p q

SOLUTION for q
1 1 1
= +
f 27.5 cm -15.0 cm

1
= -15.0 cm + 27.5 cm
f (27.5 cm) (-15.0 cm)

f = -33.0 cm

The negative value for focal length confirms that the

mirror used is a convex mirror.

#3 An object is placed 33.7 cm from a convex mirror with a focal length of 10.7 cm. Determine the image distance.

GIVEN REQUIRED
Distance of the p =
object
Focal length f =
FORMULA

SOLUTION for ___

#4 A 7.0 cm tall object is placed at a distance of 37.5 cm from a convex mirror having a focal length of -12.5 cm.
Determine the image distance and the image size.

GIVEN REQUIRED
Height of the object h =

Distance of the object p =

Focal length f =

FORMULA

SOLUTION for q SOLUTION for h’

RAY DIAGRAMMING-CONCAVEMIRRORS

L-

O- OBJECT IS
LOCATED
BEYOND C
C F
S-

T-

L-

O- OBJECT IS
LOCATED
AT C
C F
S-

T-

L-

O- OBJECT IS
LOCATED
BETWEEN C
C F AND F
S-

T-

L-

O- OBJECT IS
LOCATED
AT F
C F
S-

T-
 L-

O- OBJECT IS
LOCATED < F

C F
S-

T-

RAY DIAGRAMMING-CONVEX MIRRORS

L-

O-

F C
S-

T-

L-

O-

F C
S-

T-