Senior High School

General Physics II
Second Semester (Final) – Module 4
Reflection in Mirrors
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 Senior High School

General Physics II
Second Semester (Final) – Module 4
Reflection in Mirrors

ii
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
Welcome to the General Physics II 12 Self-Learning Module on Reflection in
Mirrors!
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping the
learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their
personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of the
module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that will help

you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module. You
also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage their
own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as
they do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:

Welcome to the General Physics II 12 Self-Learning Module on Reflection in

Mirrors!
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

ii
CONTENT STANDARD
The learner demonstrates understanding of reflection and refraction at plane
and spherical surfaces

PERFORMANCE STANDARD
The learners should be able to apply ideas from atomic and nuclear physics in
contexts such as, but not limited to, radiation shielding and inferring the
composition of stars.

LEARNING COMPETENCY
1. Explain image formation as an application of reflection, refraction and
paraxial approximation. (STEM_GP12OPT-IVd-22)
2. Relate properties of mirrors (radii of curvature & focal length) to image and
object distance and sizes. (STEM_GP12OPT-IVd-23)
3. Determine graphically and mathematically the type, magnification, location,
and orientation of image of a point and extended object produced by a plane
or spherical mirror.(STEM_GP12OPT-IVd-24)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. Explain how image is formed in mirrors.
2. Illustrate image formation in the plane and spherical mirrors.
3. Calculate the focal length, magnification of mirrors, location, orientation,
size and type of image formed by mirrors.

INTRODUCTION

Light is a very important thing in human life. Life would be impossible without
light because aside from the fact that it gives us energy, it also enables us to see things
around us. There are amazing behaviours and properties of light that we experience
in our daily life activities. For instance, the mirror image produced by a household
mirror especially when we view our appearance many times in a day. There are also
mirrors which can amaze us because they produce inverted and enlarged image of
our face. We also might wonder why we see the glare of light from anywhere around
us even if we are not directly looking at the sun.
In this module, you will learn how light behaves as it strikes the surface of
mirrors, and how image is formed in it.

1
PRE-TEST

Directions: Read each item carefully and identify what is asked or described. Encircle
the letter of the correct answer.
1. Based on the Law of Reflection, if the angle of incidence is 30 0, what will be the
angle of reflection?
A. 200 B. 300 C. 600 D. 900

2. What type of reflection that enables us to see things from any angle?
A. Diffused B. Natural C. Regular D. specular

3. An image is formed in mirrors when there is an intersection of

A. incident light rays. C. reflected light rays.
B. Parallel light rays. D. refracted light rays.

4. Which of the following best describes the image formed by a plane mirror?
A. Real, inverted and reduced.
B. Virtual, inverted and enlarged.
C. Real, upright and the same size as object.
D. Virtual, upright and the same size as object.

5. It is a part of a curved or spherical mirror where reflected lights of parallel light

rays meet or intersect.
A. Center B. Focus C. principal axis D. Vertex

6. What type of mirror would you use to produce a magnified image of your face?
A. Concave B. Convex C. Flat D. Plane

7. Which of the following statements is true for convex mirrors?

A. They have a wide field of view.
B. They can produce parallel light rays.
C. They always give a real, erect, and diminished image.
D. They always give a virtual, erect, and magnified image.

8. What kind of image that can be projected or displayed on the screen?

A. Erect B. Inverted C. Smaller D. Virtual

9. What can you infer about the image produced by mirror if the magnification is
negative? The image is
A. erect C. virtual
B. smaller D. located at the front

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 10. What can you conclude about a magnification that is less than 1 in magnitude
but has positive sign?
A. The mirror used is convex and the image is smaller and erect.
B. The mirror used is concave and the image is lager and inverted.
C. The mirror used is convex and the image is smaller and inverted.
D. The mirror used is plane and the image is same size with the object and
erect.

11. If Rey stands 3 feet in front of a plane mirror, how far from the person will her
image be located?
A. 3 feet B. 4 feet C. 5 feet D. 6 feet

12. If you wish to take a picture of your image while standing 5 m in front of a plane
mirror, for what distance should you set your camera to provide the sharpest
focus?
A. 2.5 m B. 5 m C. 10 m D. 12 m

13. Find the minimum size of the mirror required to see the full image of a student
who is 180 cm tall?
A. 80 cm B. 90 cm C. 100 cm D. 180 cm

14. How far in front of a concave mirror of focal length 10 cm would you place a 2
cm pin in order to obtain an inverted image 4 cm in height?
A. 5 cm B. 10 cm C. 15 cm D. 20 cm

15. If a virtual image is formed 10 cm along the principal axis from a convex mirror
of focal length -15 cm. What is the object distance from the mirror?
A. 3 cm B. 6 cm C. 10 cm D. 30 cm

“Congratulations you made it!

If you are confident that all your answers are correct, very good! This shows
that you already know much about the topics in this module. You may still study the
module to review what you already know. Who knows, you might learn a few more
new things as well.

If you think you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This means that this module is
for you. It will help you to understand some important concepts that you can apply in
your daily life. If you study this module carefully, you will learn the answers to all the
items in the test and a lot more!

Are you ready? Let’s go!”

3
REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS MODULE

In Module 3, you learned about the properties of light, Snell’s Law on refraction
of light and Malus’s Law on polarization of light.
Let’s have a recap of what you have learned by answering the questions below.

Direction: Answer the following questions below as required.

1. Based on the illustration below, compare the following:

a. index of refraction of medium 1 and medium 2.
b. speed of light in medium 1 and 2.
c. density of medium 1 and 2.
d. angle of incidence and angle of refraction.

2. Based on the figures below,

a. what is the angle between the polarizer and analyzer so that no light could
pass through?
b. what is the angle between the polarizer and analyzer so that only 50% of the
unpolarized light can pass through?

PRESENTATION OF THE NEW MODULE

. We see things around us because light is reflected in any directions or angles.
However, when light rays from different directions strike a smooth and shiny surface,
these light rays will be reflected and meet at a common point, thus, image is formed.
This is the reason why we see the image of our face in the mirror.

4
 In this module, you will learn the reflection of light and how it causes image to
form in mirrors. You will also learn the different characteristics of image formed by
mirrors when the location of the object from the mirror is varied.

ACTIVITY 1: Determining the reversed image of objects produced by mirrors.

Direction: Answer the following questions as required.

A. If the t-shirt is viewed from its back, how does the printed word PHYSICS
appear? (Hint: Write the word on the t-shirt under back view).

B. If you are a driver of a vehicle and you instantly look at the ambulance coming
from the back of your vehicle through the side mirror, how does the word
look like? Write it on your paper.

https://brainly.in/question/24220868

5
 C. Write the sentence THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG
on your paper. Look at the appearance of all these words from the back of the
paper and write them on a separate sheet of paper.

Activity 2: Image formation in Plane and Spherical Mirrors

Materials:

1 piece plane mirror

1 piece graphing paper
1 piece extended object

Procedures

A. Plane Mirror

1. Place a graphing paper on the floor or table.

2. Position a plane mirror over the graphing paper similar to the figure
below. Make it stand over the graphing paper and make sure that its
base aligns with the horizontal line of the graphing paper.
3. Put something (preferably an extended object) at a certain distance in
front of the mirror. Position and make it stand somewhere in front in such
a way that it touches the horizontal line of the graphing paper.
4. Determine the distance of the object from the mirror by counting the
number of lines from the object to the mirror.
5. Determine the distance of the image (which seems to be located at the
back of the mirror) by counting the number of lines from the mirror to the
image.
6. Observe the position and the height of the image relative to the object.

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 Set-up:

Questions:
Q1: Does the object distance equal the image distance?
Q2: What type of image you have seen?
Q3: Does the object height equal the image height?
Q4: Is the position of image similar to the object?
Q5: Where do you find the image?
B. Concave Mirror
Materials:
1 stainless spoon
1 ballpen with cover

Procedures:

1. Get one spoon and hold it with your left hand, in such a way that its inner surface
faces you.
2. Get one ballpen and hold it with your right hand. Position the ballpen from a
certain distance in front of the inner surface of the spoon. Observe the image
of the ballpen produced by the spoon.
3. Move the ballpen closer and closer to the spoon. Observe what happens to the
image of the ballpen.
4. Move the ballpen further and further away from the spoon. Observe what
happens to the image.

7
 Questions:
Q1: Does the size of the image change when you bring the ballpen closer and
further away from the spoon
Q2: Does the position of the image change when you move the ballpen closer
and further away from the spoon?
Q3: Does the spoon produce enlarged image of the ballpen?
Q4: Does the spoon produce inverted image?
Q5: When is erect image produced by the spoon?
Set-up:

C. Convex mirror
Materials:
1 stainless spoon
1 ballpen with cover

Procedures:

5. Get one spoon and hold it with your left hand, in such a way that its outer
surface faces you.
6. Get one ballpen and hold it with your right hand. Position the ballpen from a
certain distance in front of the outer surface of the spoon. Observe the image
of the ballpen produced by the spoon.
7. Move the ballpen closer and closer to the spoon. Observe what happens to the
image of the ballpen.
8. Move the ballpen further and further away from the spoon. Observe what
happens to the image.

Questions:
Q1: Does the size of the image change when you bring the ballpen closer and
further away from the spoon
Q2: Does the position of the image change when you move the ballpen closer
and further away from the spoon?
Q3: Does the spoon produce enlarged image of the ballpen?
Q4: Does the spoon produce inverted image?
Q5: What type of image is produced by the outer surface of the spoon?

8
 Set-up:

ANALYSIS

ACTIVITY 1

Direction: Answer the following questions on your paper.

1. Why is there reversed image in plane mirror?
2. Why do some ambulance companies write on the front
of their vehicles "backward"? Why would they not write it that way on the side
or back of the vehicle?

ACTIVITY 2
1. Which mirror/s can produce erect image?
2. Which mirror can produce inverted image?
3. Which mirror can produce enlarged image?
4. Which mirror can produce reduced and erect image?
5. Which mirror can produce erect image and similar size with the object?

Good job! I told you, you can do better! Now, it is time for you to know it all. Read on.

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ABSTRACTION

Lesson 1: The Law of Reflection

When we look at ourselves in a mirror, it seems that our image is actually behind
the mirror. This is illustrated in figure 1 below. Like for instance, if the mirror is placed
on the wall of a room, the images in it are all behind the mirror, which can make the
room look bigger. Although these images make objects appear to be where they
cannot possibly be, these images are not inventions of our imagination. Images formed
by mirrors can be photographed and videotaped by some instruments and look just as
they do with our eyes.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/physics/chapter/25-2-the-law-of-reflection

Figure 1: Our image in a mirror is behind the mirror. The two rays are those that
strike the mirror at just the correct angles to be reflected into the eyes of the person.
The image appears to be in the direction the rays are coming from when they enter
the eyes.

The law of reflection is illustrated in Figure 2. It shows how the angles are
measured at the point where the light ray strikes. We can expect reflections not only
from smooth surfaces, but also in rough surfaces. Figure 3 shows how a rough surface
reflects light. Since light strikes at different parts of the surface in different angles, it is
reflected in many different directions. Diffused light is what enables us to see an object
from any angle. Objects such as people, clothing, leaves, and walls, have rough
surfaces and can be seen from all sides. A mirror, on the other hand, has a smooth
surface and reflects light at specific angles, as illustrated in Figure 4. When the
moonlight reflects from a lake, as shown in Figure 5, a combination of these effects
takes place.

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https://courses.lumenlearning.com/physics/chapter/25-2-the-law-of-reflection/

Figure 2: The Law of Reflection

The law of reflection states that the angle of reflection equals the angle of
incidence, θr = θi. The angles are measured relative to the perpendicular to the
surface at the point where the ray strikes the surface.

Types of Reflection:

https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-physics-flexbook-2.0/section/14.1/primary/lesson/reflection-of-light-phys

Figure 3: Irregular or Diffuse Reflection

When a sheet of paper is illuminated with many parallel incident rays, it can
be seen at many different angles, because its surface is rough and diffuses the
light.

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 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/physics/chapter/25-2-the-law-of-
reflection

Figure 4: Regular or Specular Reflection

A mirror illuminated by many parallel rays reflects them in only one direction,
since its surface is very smooth. Only the observer at a particular angle will see the
reflected light.

Figure 5. Moonlight is spread out when it is reflected by the lake, since the surface
is shiny but uneven.

2: Mirrors and Images

The mirror is defined as an opaque and shiny material usually made of glass,
with a silvery coating at its back, which reflects light and results in the formation of an
image of the object. It is used in our homes, to see the reflection of our face or any
other objects. The image is formed in mirrors because of the intersection of reflected
light rays.

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Types of Images formed by Mirrors:
• Real image = is formed when light rays pass through and diverge from the
image point.
= it is an inverted or upside down image and located in front of
the mirror.
= it can be projected or displayed on the screen.
• Virtual image = is formed when light rays do not pass through the image point
but only appear to diverge from that point.
= it is an erect or upright image and located behind or at the
back of the mirror.
= it cannot be projected or displayed on the screen.

Notations for Mirrors:

• The object distance (do) is the distance from the object to the
mirror.
• The image distance (di) is the distance from the image to the
mirror.
• The lateral magnification (m) of the mirror is the ratio of the image
height to the object height, or the negative image distance to the
object distance.

This is the general magnification formula for any type of mirror.

Magnification (m) does not always mean bigger or larger,
however, its size can either increase or decrease. That is, m can
be less than or greater than 1.

Types of Mirrors:
1. Plane mirror = a mirror with a flat reflecting surface. It always produces virtual and
erect images. It is the most common type and is found in bathrooms, bedrooms, and
department store’s dressing rooms. It produces images that are identical or near
identical in shape and size to objects placed in front of it. The reflections are laterally
inverted or have the apparent left-right reversal—that’s why, when you hold your right
hand up in front of a mirror, it looks like the left hand of your reflected image.

13
Note: Two rays are needed to determine where an image is formed.

14
 Incident lights strike the object in any directions and reflected in different
directions as they hit the mirror from different points.

15
 Below is the summary of the characteristics of image formed by plane mirror.
Characteristics of Image formed by Plane Mirror
Location Orientation Size Type Distance from Magnification
the mirror
At the Erect or Equal size Virtual Equal distance
back of upright with the with the object 1
the mirror object from the mirror

Note: All the characteristics of the image formed by plane mirrors are similar whether
the location of object is near or far from the mirror.

Apparent Left-Right Image Reversal (Lateral Inversion)

Besides the fact that plane mirror images are virtual, there are several other
characteristics that are worth noting. The second characteristic has to do with the
orientation of the image. If you view an image of yourself in a plane mirror (perhaps a
bathroom mirror), you will quickly notice that there is an apparent left-right reversal of
your image. For example, if you raise your left hand, the image you see raises its right
hand. Otherwise, if you raise your right hand, the image you see raises its left hand.
This is often termed left-right reversal.

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 The word AMBULANCE is written in reverse because the mirror shows a
characteristic of what we call "lateral inversion”. An ambulance carries emergency
patients, and it requires to drive fast on its way to the hospital. So when the preceding
vehicles see the name easily, they can provide a way for the ambulance to overtake.

Minimum size of mirror required to see the full image of the object

The diagram below depicts a 6-foot tall man standing in front of a plane mirror.
To see the image of his feet, he must sight along a line towards his feet; and to see
the image of the top of his head, he must sight along a line towards the top of his head.
The ray diagram depicts these lines of sight and the complete path of light from
his extremities to the mirror and to the eye. In order to view his image, the man must
look as low as point Y (to see his feet) and as high as point X (to see the tip of his
head). The man only needs the portion of mirror extending between points X and Y in
order to view his entire image. All other portions of the mirror are useless to the task
of this man viewing his own image.

17
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refln/Lesson-2/What-Portion-of-a-Mirror-is-Required-to-View-an-Im
The diagram depicts some important information about plane mirrors. Using a
cm-ruler, measure the height of the man (the vertical arrow) on the computer screen
and measure the distance between points X and Y. What do you notice? The man is
twice as tall as the distance between points X and Y. In other words, to view an image
of yourself in a plane mirror, you will need an amount of mirror equal to one-half of
your height. A 6-foot tall man needs 3-feet of mirror (positioned properly) in order to
view his entire image.

2. Spherical mirror = a mirror that has a curved surface, which is used to form a
diminished or magnified image, is called a spherical mirror. It has the shape of a
section of a sphere. This mirror focuses incoming parallel light rays to a point.

Types of Spherical mirror:

• Concave Mirror: A mirror in which the reflection takes place in the inner
part. Its reflecting surface is curved inwards, and its face is towards the
center of the sphere. It is also called as a converging mirror because it
reflects light so that they will meet or intersect at a common point. It can
form real and virtual image. It can produce larger image but smaller field
of view. It is known as a converging mirror because it reflects light rays so
that they will meet or intersect at a common point. It curves inward like the
inner part of spoon. Concave mirrors reflect light inward to a single focal
point; this is why they’re typically used to focus light. From far away, images
reflected in a concave mirror seem upside down, but, as you get closer, the
image flips and becomes magnified. Concave mirrors are used by dentists
to magnify the size of teeth, in car headlights, in shaving and makeup
mirrors, and even to light the Olympic torch.

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 Only concave mirror can enlarge image Only concave mirror can produce inverted image

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zv-4Zh-9R4

Front side Back side

Note: Concave mirror is called as converging mirror because it reflects light rays so
that they will meet or intersect at a common point called focus or focal point.

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Parts of the Concave Mirror

• The vertex (V) is the center of the spherical segment. It is a point where the
optic axis or principal axis intersects the mirror.
• Optic axis or principal axis (P) is a straight line drawn from the center to the
vertex. It passes through the center and is perpendicular to the surface of the
mirror
• The center (C) is the point where the center of the sphere would be.
• The radius (R) is the distance from the center to the surface of the mirror.
• Focus or Focal Point (F) it is the point where lights that are infinitely far away
from the mirror would converge. It is the point that is exactly in between the
mirror and the center. It is dependent solely on the curvature of the mirror, not
on the distance of the object.
• Focal length (f) is the distance between the mirror and the focus or focal point.
Since the distance between the center and the mirror is the radius, the distance
from the focal point to the mirror is one- half of the radius, f = (1/2) R.

Graphical Method of Locating an Image formed by Spherical Mirror

While the image is formed by all the rays that leave the object and strike the
mirror (see figure below), we will concentrate on three principal rays because they
are easy to follow.

20
 To be able to figure out how an image will be formed in a concave mirror, there
are three rules you need to use to determine where the image of the object will appear.
However, two rules are already sufficient to locate the image, and the third one will be
used as a check.

Rule #1: A light ray directed parallel to the principal axis will reflect through the
focal point (F) on the same side of the mirror.

Rule #2: A light ray directed through the focal point (F) will reflect parallel to the
principal axis.

Note: From these two rules, you can already locate the image formed by the concave
mirror due to the intersection of the two reflected light rays. Construct an arrow (as
extended object), wherein its tail is touching the principal axis and its arrow head is on
the point of intersection of two reflected light rays.

Rule #3: A light ray directed towards the vertex will reflect at the same angle
made with the principal axis.

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 Based on the diagram, when the object is located beyond C, the image is real,
inverted, reduced or diminished, and located at the front of the mirror between C
& F.
Note: When reflected light rays intersect, then image is formed. The point of
intersection of the reflected light rays indicate the location of image. However,
if there is no intersection of reflected light rays at the front, try to extend the
reflected light rays at the back of the mirror, they might intersect behind the
mirror (see figure below).

Example: Locate and describe the image when the object is located between F & V.

Based on this diagram, the image is virtual because it is found at the back of
the mirror, erect and enlarged or magnified.

Relative locations of object and image in the concave mirror

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refln/Lesson-4/Image-Characteristics-for-Convex-Mirrors

22
Note: The red colored arrows and numbers represent the object and its locations from
the concave mirror. The blue colored arrows and numbers represent the image and
its locations. For example, when the object is located beyond C of the mirror (red
colored arrow number 1), the image is formed at the front of the mirror between C & F
(blue colored arrow number 1) which is inverted, smaller, and real.

Summary of the characteristics of the image formed by concave mirror

No image

• Convex Mirror: A mirror in which the reflection takes place in the outer
part. Its reflecting surface is curved outward, and its face is away from the
center of the sphere. It is also called as a diverging mirror because it
reflects light rays so that they will spread and move in different directions.
It can form virtual image only which is always smaller and erect image of
the object placed anywhere in the front. It can produce smaller or reduced
image but larger field of view. A convex mirror bulges outward and
displays a slightly distorted image that is smaller than the actual. It does
this by reflecting at a wider angle near the edges than at the center.
Convex mirrors are very useful for safety purposes since they allow you to
see more than a plane mirror—passenger-side mirrors in cars are a
common example. Crafty marketers have also figured out that using
curved mirrors in clothing store dressing rooms can boost sales by making
shoppers appear longer and leaner.

23
 Front side Back side

Graphical Method of Locating an Image formed by a Convex Mirror

The same set of rules used in concave mirrors apply to convex mirrors, it’s just
that things will look a bit different since convex mirrors have their focal point and
center behind the mirror. The only difference is that the rays are extended behind the
mirror as dotted lines to be able to show how they “pass through the focal point” or
“through the center”.

Rule #1: Draw the ray coming off of the tip of the object parallel to the principal axis.
When it hits the mirror, it bounces off so that a dotted line drawn behind the mirror will
pass through the focal point.

Rule #2: The ray comes off of the tip of the object aiming straight for the center.
Where it hits the mirror it will bounce back, and a dotted line behind the mirror is drawn
to show where the ray would have gone.

24
 Notice that there is now a place where the two dotted lines hit. This is where
the image will appear.

The image is virtual and is located behind the mirror between F & V, it
is erect or upright, and reduced in size. Take note that these are always the
characteristics of the image formed by the convex mirror whether the object is located
closer or further away from the mirror.

Relative locations of object and image in the convex mirror

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refln/Lesson-4/Image-Characteristics-for-Convex-Mirrors

Note: The red colored arrows and numbers represent the object and its locations from
the convex mirror. The blue colored arrows and numbers represent the image and its
locations. For example, when the object is located beyond C of the mirror (red colored
arrow number 1), the image is formed at the back of the mirror between F & V (blue
colored arrow number 1) which is erect, smaller, and virtual. Take note that whatever
be the locations of the object, the image produced by the convex mirror is always
virtual, erect, smaller and located at the back of the mirror between F &V.

Summary of the characteristics of the image formed by convex mirror

Location of Location of image Orientation Size of image Type of image

object of image
Beyond C Back of the mirror Erect or Smaller Virtual
between F & V upright
At C Back of the mirror Erect or Smaller Virtual
between F & V upright
Between C Back of the mirror Erect or Smaller Virtual
&F between F & V upright

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 At F Back of the mirror Erect or Smaller Virtual
between F & V upright
Between F Back of the mirror Erect or Smaller Virtual
&V between F & V upright

Determining the characteristics of image using Mathematical Method

The Mirror Formula

This is a formula which is used to figure out where an image will appear, if it will
be inverted/erect, and magnified or reduced.
f = focal length
do = distance from mirror to object
di = distance from mirror to image

Notes to remember in using the Mirror Formula:

1. Concave Mirrors have positive focal length, and convex mirrors have negative
focal length.
2. Distances are positive if they are in front of the mirror, and negative if they are
behind the mirror.
3. All measurements are made along the principal axis from the surface of the
mirror.
Lateral magnification (m) is defined as the number of times the size of the image is
increased or decreased relative to that of the object size, and it has no unit.
Where:
hi = height of the image
ho = height of object
m = magnification (how many times bigger or smaller)
Notations:

1. Positive heights are above the principal axis, and negative heights are below
the principal axis.
2. Positive magnifications are above the principal axis, and negative
magnifications are below the principal axis.
3. Magnifications greater than 1 are bigger than the original object, magnifications
less than 1 are smaller than the original object.
Sample Problem:

1. A convex mirror has a radius of 20 cm. An object is placed 30 cm in front of

the mirror.
a. Determine where the image will appear.
b. Determine how tall the image is if the object is 5.0 cm tall.
c. Determine the magnification.

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Given:
R = 20 cm, therefore f = -10 cm (note: f is negative because it is convex)
do = 30 cm

Solution:
a. di =?

di = -7.5 cm , since di is negative, that means

the image appears behind the mirror as a virtual image.
b. hi =?

hi = 1.3 cm , since hi is positive, that means the image is erect or

upright.
c. m =?

m = 0.25 , the magnification is positive, since the image is erect. But

it less than one, so the image is smaller than the object
(one-fourth the size).

2. A concave mirror has a focal length of 10 cm. If a 5 cm object is situated 25

cm away from the mirror,
a. determine the location of the image.
b. calculate the magnification.
c. calculate the height of the image.
d. describe the image completely based on the results.

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Given:
f = 10 cm (note: f is positive because it is concave)
do = 25 cm
ho = 5 cm

Solution:
a. di = ?

10 cm 25 cm
di = 16.7 cm , since di is positive, that means
the image appears at the front of the mirror as real
image.
b. m =?

-16.7 cm
25 cm m = - 0.67 , since the magnification is negative
that means the image is inverted or upside down.
But it less than one, so the image is smaller than the
object.

c. hi =?

hi = mho
= -0.67 (5 cm)

hi = -3.35 cm , since hi is negative, that means the image is erect.

d. The image is real, inverted, smaller than the object and located at the
front of the mirror.

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APPLICATION

Direction: Solve the following problems in your paper and show all your solutions.

1. A 4 cm tall light bulb is placed a distance of 45.7 cm from a concave mirror

having a focal length of 15.2 cm. Determine the image distance and the image
size.
2. A 4 cm tall light bulb is placed a distance of 35.5 cm from a convex mirror having
a focal length of 12.2 cm. Determine the image distance and the image size.

ENRICHMENT

Direction: Construct a ray diagram to find the image produced by concave and convex
mirror. Use graphing paper, pencil and ruler in constructing a ray diagram.

1. Locate and describe the image formed by a concave mirror using at least 2
rules, when the object is located:
A. Beyond C
B. At C
C. Between C & F
D. At F
E. Between F & V

2. Locate and describe the image formed by a convex mirror using at least 2 rules,
when the object is located:
A. Beyond C
B. At C
C. Between C & F
D. At F
E. Between F & V

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POST-TEST

Directions: Read each item carefully and identify what is asked or described. Encircle
the letter of the correct answer.

1. What can you conclude about a magnification that is less than 1 in magnitude
but has positive sign?
A. The mirror used is convex and the image is smaller and erect.
B. The mirror used is concave and the image is lager and inverted.
C. The mirror used is convex and the image is smaller and inverted.
D. The mirror used is plane and the image is same size with the object
and erect.

2. What can you infer about the image produced by mirror if the magnification is
negative? The image is
A. erect C. virtual
B. smaller D. located at the front

3. What kind of image that can be projected or displayed on the screen?

A. Erect B. Inverted C. Smaller D. Virtual

4. Which of the following statements is true for convex mirrors?

A. They have a wide field of view.
B. They can produce parallel light rays.
C. They always give a real, erect, and diminished image.
D. They always give a virtual, erect, and magnified image.

5. What type of mirror would you use to produce a magnified image of your face?
A. Concave B. Convex C. Flat D. Plane

6. It is a part of a curved or spherical mirror where reflected lights of parallel light

rays meet or intersect.
A. Center B. Focus C. principal axis D. Vertex

7. Which of the following best describes the image formed by a plane mirror?
A. Real, inverted and reduced.
B. Virtual, inverted and enlarged.
C. Real, upright and the same size as object.
D. Virtual, upright and the same size as object.

8. An image is formed in mirrors when there is an intersection of

A. incident light rays. C. reflected light rays.
B. Parallel light rays. D. refracted light rays.

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 9. What type of reflection that enables us to see things from any angle?
A. Diffused B. Natural C. Regular D. specular

10. Based on the Law of Reflection, if the angle of incidence is 30 0, what will be the
angle of reflection?
A. 200 B. 300 C. 600 D. 900

11. Find the minimum size of the mirror required to see the full image of a student
who is 180 cm tall?
A. 80 cm B. 90 cm C. 100 cm D. 180 cm

12. If Rey stands 3 feet in front of a plane mirror, how far from the person will her
image be located?
A. 3 feet B. 4 feet C. 5 feet D. 6 feet

13. If you wish to take a picture of your image while standing 5 m in front of a plane
mirror, for what distance should you set your camera to provide the sharpest
focus?
A. 2.5 m B. 5 m C. 10 m D. 12 m

14. If a virtual image is formed 10 cm along the principal axis from a convex mirror
of focal length -15 cm. What is the object distance from the mirror?
A. 3 cm B. 6 cm C. 10 cm D. 30 cm

15. How far in front of a concave mirror of focal length 10 cm would you place a 2
cm pin in order to obtain an inverted image 4 cm in height?
A. 5 cm B. 10 cm C. 15 cm D. 20 cm

GLOSSARY

The following terms used in this module are defined as follows for you to be guided:

LATERAL INVERSION the reversal of mirror image where the right side of
the object appears on the left side behind the mirror.

INVERTED upside down or in the opposite position.

INTERSECTION a convergence or meeting of light rays.

IMAGE an artifact that depicts visual perception such as a

photograph or picture formed by mirrors.

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ANSWER KEY

PRE-TEST
1. B 6. A 11. D
2. A 7. A 12. C POST TEST
3. C 8. B 13. B 1. A 6. B 11. B
4. D 9. D 14. C 2. D 7. D 12. D
5. B 10. A 15. D 3. B 8. C 13. C
4. A 9. A 14. D
5. A 10. B 15. C

REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS LESSON 6.

0
1. a. Index of refraction of medium 2 is greater than 2. a. 90
medium 1. b. 00
b. Speed of light in medium 1 is faster than in medium 2.
c. Density of medium 2 is greater than medium 1.
d. Angle of incidence is greater than angle of refraction.

PRESENTATION OF THE LESSON ANALYSIS

Activity 1 Activity 1
A. 1. The image of everything in front of
the mirror is reflected backward,
B. retracing the path it traveled to get
C. Answers may vary there. Nothing is switching left to
right or up-down. Instead, it's being
inverted front to back.
2. An ambulance carries emergency
Activity 2 patients, and it requires to drive fast
Plane Concave Mirror Conve on its way to the hospital. So when
Mirror x the preceding vehicles see the name
Mirror easily, they can provide a way for the
Q1 Yes Yes Yes
ambulance to overtake.
Q2 Virtual Yes No
Activity 2
Q3 Yes Yes No
1. Plane, concave, and convex mirror
Q4 Yes Yes No
2. Concave mirror
Q5 At the When ballpen is Virtual 3. Concave mirror
back of held very close 4. Convex mirror
mirror to the spoon 5. Plane mirror
APPLICATION ENRICHMENT
1. di =22.8 cm; hi = -1.99 cm 1. Answers may vary
2. di = -9.08 cm; hi = 1.02 cm 2. Answers may vary

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REFERENCES

Young, H. D., Freedman, R. A., Sears and Zemansky (2012). University Physics with
Modern Physics 13th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc.
Edminister, J. A.,Nahvi, M. (2014). Theory and Problems of Electromagnetics 4th
Edition. New Yok, USA: McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN 9780071831475.
https://ux1.eiu.edu/~cfadd/3050/Hmwk/Ch18.html
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refln/Lesson-2/Image-Characteristics
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/physics/chapter/25-7-image-formation-by-mirrors/
https://studylib.net/doc/8462532/activity-10--image-formation-from-a-curved-mirror#
https://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfadd/1160/Ch24ML/ImgMr.html

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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Schools Division of Surigao del Norte

Peñaranda St., Surigao City
Surigao del Norte, Philippines 8400
Tel. No: (086) 826-8216
Email Address: [email protected]

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