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Grade 8 Science
Ray Diagrams for Convex Mirrors
Convex mirrors stick out… they have a curved shape that curves towards the object in front of the
mirror:
Object (can be
anything)
Convex Mirror
When drawing ray diagrams for a convex mirror, you follow the same steps no matter where the object
is in relation to the mirror (the object distance doesn’t matter). In convex mirrors the focal point is
Pb THE MIRROR.
always BEHIND
jec
Ray diagrams
t for a convex mirror:
1. Draw a ray parallel to the principal axis, with
the reflected ray reflecting in line with the focal
point behind the mirror.
3. Draw a ray travelling to the vertex and
reflecting at the same angle.
2. Draw a ray in line with the focal point, with
the reflected ray parallel to the principal axis.
4. Extend all of the reflected rays behind the
mirror. The point where they cross over is the
top of your image.
We use four terms to describe images in ray diagrams:
1.
2.
3.
4.
For a concave mirror when the object is between the focal point and the mirror:
Size
Smaller than the object
Position
Closer to the mirror than the object
Orientation (upright or inverted)
Upright
Type of Image (Real or virtual?)
Virtual – the image is formed by extended rays, so
it has to be virtual.
Now practice it yourself:
Principal
Object
V
F
axis
2
Now practice it yourself:
V
F
V
F
V
F
V
V
F
F