Spherical Mirrors
A spherical mirror has the shape of a section from the surface of a sphere.
The inside surface is a concave mirror (see above).
The outside surface is a convex mirror (we will see this in a future lesson).
Mirror Definitions
Centre of Curvature (C) – the centre of an imaginary sphere with the same. curvature as the mirror
Vertex (V) – geometric centre of the curved mirror surface.
Principal Axis (PA) – line passing through the vertex and the centre of curvature (similar to handle on an umbrella).
Focal Length (f) – the distance from the focal point (F) to the vertex.
Drawing Light Ray Diagrams for a Concave Mirror
Answer Key for Concave Mirror practice:
