Focal Length and Virtual Images in Concave Mirrors Explained

Question 1

What type of image will be formed by a concave mirror when an object is placed in front of it at a distance less than its focal length?

Answer 1

The concave mirror will form a virtual image when an object is placed in front of it at a distance less than its focal length.

When an object is placed in front of a concave mirror at a distance less than its focal length, the image formed is virtual, upright, and magnified. This phenomenon occurs because the reflected rays of light appear to diverge from a point behind the mirror, creating a virtual image that cannot be projected onto a screen.

A virtual image is an optical illusion where the rays of light do not physically converge at the location of the image. Instead, they appear to intersect at the virtual image position when traced backward, resulting in a non-physical representation of the object.

Furthermore, the magnification formula (m = h' / h) indicates that the height of the virtual image (h') will be greater than the height of the object (h). This means that the virtual image will appear larger than the actual object, providing a magnified view to the observer.