The position of the image formed by spherical mirrors can be found by taking two rays of light coming from a point on the object which intersect each other to form an image. Following are the rules which are used for obtaining images formed by spherical mirrors.
1. A ray of light which run parallel to the principal axis, after reflection, passes through the principal focus F of a concave mirror, or appears to pass through the principal focus of a convex mirror.
2. A ray of light passing through the centre of curvature in a concave mirror or a ray of light going towards the centre of curvature of a convex mirror is reflected back along the same path.
3. A ray of light passing through the principal focus of a concave mirror or appearing to pass through the principal focus of a convex mirror becomes parallel to the principal axis after reflection.
Test Your Understanding and Answer These Questions:
- What are the rules for obtaining images formed by spherical mirrors?