Convex mirrors create virtual images behind the mirror. are also called diverging mirrors, since incident light reflects off the mirror and diverges, never intersecting on the object side of the mirror.

[am4show have=’p9;p58;’ guest_error=’Guest error message’ user_error=’User error message’ ]

The rules of reflection with incident light reflecting on a convex mirror are a little different from concave mirrors. Recall that for concave mirrors, incident light traveling parallel to the principal axis will pass through the focal point after reflection, and incident light traveling through the focal point will travel parallel after reflection.

For convex mirrors, incident light traveling parallel to the principal axis will reflect so that the extension will pass through the focal point, and any extension passing through the focal point will travel parallel to the principal axis.

But what does the image actually look like? Convex mirrors always create virtual, upright, smaller images that look like they’re right behind the mirror, no matter where you put the object. The size of the image depends on how far away the object is. The further from the mirror, the smaller the image is going to appear.

Yay! You completed this section! Now it’s time for you to solve physics problems on your own:

Download your Reflection Problem Set here.

[/am4show]