Concave Mirrors On The Wall.....

Untitled Part 1

Dana Torbina

5/5/2016

Mr. Wu

SNC2D-09

Concave Mirror Lab Report

Focus questions:

How do the characteristics of an image from a concave mirror change when an object is placed at various locations in front of the mirror? What are the key locations of the object (in front of a concave mirror) at which the characteristics of the image change significantly?

Hypotheses:

Real images would be made when the object would be placed behind the center of curvature. This would happen due to the fact that the object would be located at a position of more than one focal length from the concave mirror. When an object is located at that distance away from the mirror, the reflecting rays are able to intersect on the real side of the mirror. This results in a real image. On the other hand, a virtual image would most likely be made when the object were to be placed in between the mirror, and the focal point. This would happen, because the incident rays would not be able to go through the focal point on the real side of the mirror, but the virtual reflecting rays would form a virtual image behind the mirror. The size of the images formed would depend on the distance from the object to the mirror. The closer the object to the mirror, the larger would be the image formed. This would happen because the reflecting rays would intersect as farther, and farther away from the mirror the closer the object were to be to the mirror. The angle of reflection would be changing, and with it, the location where the reflected rays would intersect with it. Therefore, the closer the object to the mirror, the larger the image formed. Upright images would probably be formed when an object were to be located in front of the focal point. This would happen because the light rays would not go below the principal axis, but would reflect upwards, and the virtual reflected rays would form a virtual image behind the mirror, and above the principal axis. Alternatively, vertically inverted images would be formed if the object were to be located behind the focal point. This would happened because the reflected rays would intersect below the principal axis, causing the image to be vertically inverted. Therefore any object located behind the focus point would produce vertically inverted images. Finally, the closer the object would be to the mirror, the further the image would form. This would happen because the angle of reflecting rays would cause the reflected rays to intersect at different distances. There would be no image formed when the object would be located on the focal point. This would happen because, the reflected rays would travel parallel to each other, and no intersection would happen. If there would be no intersection, the image would not form.

Materials:

· A complete set of optical bench with accessories 1x

Procedure:

1. The optical bench with accessories was set up.

2. The center of curvature was found by placing the light source closer to the mirror until the reflecting image was the same size as the object.

3. The focal point was found directly in between the mirror and the center of curvature.

4. A light source was placed on the focal point.

5. Observations of the image formed were recorded.

6. The light source was then placed in between the mirror, and the focal point.

7. The mirror was tilted upwards, until it reflected on the white board behind.

8. Observations of the image formed were recorded.