Reflection of Light and Image Formation Light always follows the law of reflection, whether the reflection occurs off a curved surface or off a flat surface. The task of determining the direction in which an incident light ray would reflect involves determining the normal to the surface at the point of incidence. For a concave mirror, the normal at the point of incidence on the mirror surface is a line that extends through the center of curvature. Once the normal is drawn the angle of incidence can be measured and the reflected ray can be drawn with the same angle. This process is illustrated with two separate incident rays in the diagram at the right. Lesson 2 discussed the formation of images by plane mirrors. In Lesson 2, it was emphasized the image location is the location where reflected light appears to diverge from. For plane mirrors, virtual images are formed. Light does not actually pass through the virtual image location; it only appears to an observer as though the light is emanating from the virtual image location.

In this lesson we will begin to see that concave mirrors are capable of producing real images (as well as virtual images). When a real image is formed, it still appears to an observer as though light is diverging from the real image location. Only in the case of a real image, light is actually passing through the image location.Appliance Repair Grosse Pointe Mi What is an Image? Puppies For Sale Near Cda IdahoHow is it Formed?Blinds To Go Spacer Block Suppose that a light bulb is placed in front of a concave mirror at a location somewhere behind the center of curvature (C). The light bulb will emit light in a variety of directions, some of which will strike the mirror. Each individual ray of light that strikes the mirror will reflect according to the law of reflection.

Upon reflecting, the light will converge at a point. At the point where the light from the object converges, a replica, likeness or reproduction of the actual object is created. This replica is known as the image. Once the reflected light rays reach the image location, they begin to diverge. The point where all the reflected light rays converge is known as the image point. Not only is it the point where light rays converge, it is also the point where reflected light rays appear to an observer to be diverging from. Regardless of the observer's location, the observer will see a ray of light passing through the real image location. To view the image, the observer must line her sight up with the image location in order to see the image via the reflected light ray. The diagram below depicts several rays from the object reflecting from the mirror and converging at the image location. The reflected light rays then begin to diverge, with each one being capable of assisting an individual in viewing the image of the object.

If the light bulb is located at a different location, the same principles apply. The image location is the location where reflected light appears to diverge from. By determining the path that light from the bulb takes after reflecting from the mirror, the image location can be identified. The diagram below depicts this concept. You might notice that while the same principle applies for determining the image location, a different result is obtained. When the object is located beyond the center of curvature (C), the image is located between the center of curvature (C) and the focal point (F). On the other hand, when the object is located between the center of curvature (C) and the focal point (F), the image is located beyond the center of curvature (C). Unlike plane mirrors, the object distance is not necessarily equal to the image distance. The actual relationship between object distance and image distance is dependent upon the location of the object. These ideas will be discussed in more detail later in this lesson.

A smiley face is inscribed onto a night light bulb; it's appearance is flushed out by the light of the bulb. The bulb is screwed into a light socket and placed in front of a concave mirror (not shown). The image is projected onto a note card; the image is inverted. We Would Like to Suggest ... Why just read about it and when you could be interacting with it? Interact - that's exactly what you do when you use one of The Physics Classroom's Interactives. We would like to suggest that you combine the reading of this page with the use of our Optics Bench Interactive or our Name That Image Interactive. You can find this in the Physics Interactives section of our website. The Optics Bench Interactive provides the learner an interactive enivronment for exploring the formation of images by lenses and mirrors. The Name That Image Interactive provides learners with an intensive mental workout in recognizing the image characteristics for any given object location in front of a curved mirror.

Visit:  Optics Bench Interactive  ||  Name That Image Interactive Physics Tutorial Reflection and the Ray Model of Light Lesson 3 - Concave MirrorsThere are many different methods of presenting, some more successful than others. Bullet points don’t work. Neither does including a large, beautiful image on a slide. What does work however, is visualisation. But it can be difficult to portray certain ideas without the use of text. So how do presentation designers overcome this issue? An icon is a small pictogram or symbol, used as a visual representation of an object or concept. Icons developed with computer graphic systems, as a way of enabling the user to easily navigate through a range of actions, without requiring text explanations. Now, icons are often used in graphical work as symbols, to demonstrate an idea or ‘thing’ in an easy-to-understand way.Icons reduce cognitive load, by simply demonstrating a concept that audiences can grasp without difficulty. The brain instantly recognises and understands the symbol, which means that the audience can focus on the presenter, or on the way the icon is interacting with other objects on the slide.

So what does this mean for presenters? It means that audiences can focus their attention on understanding your concepts and explanations, rather than working out what your visual represents, and why you’ve chosen to use it.Icons are successful because they promote relevancy. With the absence of extraneous detail, they tell the story, without distracting the audience.Icons are extremely common in everyday use. The print icon and the telephone icon are self-explanatory, and the light bulb has come to symbolise a new idea.There are certain icons that are seen time and again in presentations, and ones that we at m62 use frequently. The very fact that they are used so often helps to aid comprehension, as it makes them recognisable to a wider audience.This icon has received criticism for becoming almost a cliché – but this is undeserved. Whilst this may not be the most exciting visual in the world, it has come to represent a deal or partnership – helping audience members to visualise the outcome.

Using an icon to represent this, rather than a photograph, helps to avoid any diversity issues, which some organisations could be sensitive about.This icon is seen frequently in real-life situations around the UK, and has proved just as useful in presentations. Representing information or data is done easily by this icon, and can make many a slide much simpler. However, a word of warning – not all international audiences will be familiar with this as a symbol, so it may require explanation. See Icons and Visual Cognitive Dissonance below.Again, this symbol is extremely useful for demonstrating a range of concepts. The possibility of litigation; potential loss of business – the possibilities are endless. Emphasising anything that may prove a cause for concern is all done by a simple icon, which will immediately get the audience’s attention.If an audience has not come across the icon before, this does not mean that it won’t work. In fact, having to explain an icon to your audience the first time you reveal it can be the perfect opportunity to incorporate Visual Cognitive Dissonance into your presentation.

If they don’t understand your icon, they will look to you for an explanation – leaving them fully engaged with you and your content.This is not an excuse to use ClipArt. Icons should be an integral part of the slide message, and become part of the visualisation. ClipArt is frequently used incorrectly, and often leaves an unprofessional dint on a designed slide. Avoid ClipArt: if you would like to use icons, you’d be better off creating your own.Simplicity is the key. While an icon should be well designed, its function is to convey the concept, without confusion. For this reason, silhouettes often work well.Icons should be instantly and almost universally recognised. If you audience doesn’t understand it immediately, they should be able to understand what the icon is being used for in context, or grasp the idea without difficult after an explanation. This enables audiences to stop focusing on what the icon means, and rather on how it interacts with the rest of the slide.Icons work best with animation, on visualised slides.