AIM

find
To find the value ofvfor difterent values of uin case of a concave mirror and to
its focal length.

ApPARATUS AND MAIERIAL REQUIRE

An optical bench with three uprights, two sharp-edged needles (one hin and one
thick), a concave mirror of
tocal length less than 20 cm, index ncedle/knitting necdle and a half-metre scale.
WORKING FORMULA
The relation betweenthe object distance, image distance vand focal length fof aconcave mirror
is given bv the mirror formula,
or f=

According to new Cartesian sign convention, uand vare both negative when a concave mirror
forms a real image. Also, fis negative for aconcave mirror.
RAY DIAGRAMS
Image M

Object
needle
(a)
Image

Image i Object
needle needle

(b)
Fig. 8.12 Ray diagrans for the focal
length of the concave miror (a) object at C(b)
object between Fand C.
OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS
Rough focal length of the concave mirror = Cm

Actual length of the kniting needle, x = Cm

Observed distance between the mirror and the object needle, y=_ Cm

Observed distance between the mirror and the image needle, z = Cm

Index correction for object distance u, e, =x-y Cm

Index correction for image distance v, e, =X-z= cm

Table 8.1 : Determination of u, v and f for the concave mirror

Positions of uprights Observed Focal
distances Corrected distances 1 1 length
S.No. Concave Object Image PO = u' PI = v' u = u'+ e, V = V'+e, f=
mirror P needle 0 needle I (cm) (cm )
(cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm)
(Cm)
1.
2.
3.
4
5
6.
7.

Mean value of f= Cm

11
NOTE Here and -values are required to be determined only for
method.
finding f by graphical

Determination offby graphical methods:

1. Focal length from the graph between u
and . As per Cartesian sign convention, both uat
Vare negative. Choosing a larger and same scale
for both axes, plot the t-v graph by taku's
I-values along ve X-axis and -values along -ve Y-axis, As shown in Fig. 8.13, the grap
will be a rectangular hyperbola.
 Chapter 8 SPHERICAL MIRRORS

mirror
Draw a line from the origin 4-V graph for a concave
X-axis. Omaking
angle of 45° with the
an
It meets the
IV graph at point P. Obviously, the u(cm)
values of absicca and ordinate at any 45
point on this line will be equal.

So at point P, u =U.
(- 2f, - 2) P
1 1,1 1,1
4
2
(m)
f 1

OA
= Cm
2
Scale:
X-axis:1 division
OB Y-axis : ldivision = Crm

() f= 2 Cm =
2
Cm

Mean value of f= Cm
Fig. 8.13 u-v qraph for a concave rnirror.

u-0 straight lines for a concave mirror

u(cm)
2. Focal length from +v lines. Choosing
larger and same scales for both the axes, X

mark the values of ualong -ve X-axis and

those of v along ve Y-axis. Draw straight
lines joining the points u, , H3, etc ; of
the X-axis and the corresponding points B-
shown in
D,D,,V,y etc ; of the Y-axis, as
Fig. 8.14. (em)

Within the limits of the experimental Scale:

error, these lines meet at a common point X-axis:1 div. = Cm
Y-axis: 1 div. = Cm
co-ordinates
Q which should have
(-f,-f).
intersection of u-vlines.
Fiq. 8.14 Focal length from the
point Q
X-coordinate of point Q + y-coordinate of
So, f= 2

OA+ OB Cm
2

scale for both the

between
1
and -.Choosing asuitable and same
3. Focal length fromthe graph
-ve Y-axis. Draw the best possible straight
1
along -ve X-axis and along
xes, plot points taking - both the axes, as shown in Fig. 8.15. Each
it to intersect
line through these points and produce gives a value for
intercept, OA on X-axis and OB on Y-axis,
119
 LAB MANUAL PHYSICS-XII

1 1
For x-intercept, graph for a concave nirror
1 1
=0

X
For y-intercept,
1 1 1
=) f=v

1
() f=l= Cm
OA
1
Cm
(ii) f=V=
OB
Scale:
-1
Mean value of f =, Cm X-axis: 1div. = cm
-1
Y-axis :1 div. = Cm

1 1
Fig. 8.15 Graph between and - for a concave mirror.
RESULT
1. Focal length of concavemirror calculated from different uand vvalues as f= Cm

2. Focal length of concave mirror from wv graph, f= Cm

3. Focal length of concave mirror from -v straight lines, f= Cm

4. Focal length of concave mirror from . graph, f=, Cm

PRECAUTIONS
1. The principal axis of the mirror should be horizontal and parallel to
bench. the length of the optical
2. The uprights should be rigid and
vertical.
3. The tips of the object and image needles and the
same height.
pole of the mirror must be adjusted at the
4. fo locate the position of the image, the
eve must be held at a distance of about 30
the image needle. cm trom
5. The tip of the inverted image of the
object
needle arnd the tips must not overlap. This needle should just touch the tip of the imag
helps to remove parallax tip to tp.
6. The object needle should be
mirror.
placed between F and Cand not between F and Pof the
concave
7. The object needle should be
white paper over its tip. Thedistinguished from the image needle by fixing a small
two needles should not be pece o
experiment. interchanged during the course O
8. Index corrections must be
carefully determined and applied to object and
9. The values of u and v
should not differ much. This image disatte
of f. minimises the error in the determit
 SPHERICAL MIRRORS
SOURCES OF ERROR

1. The uprights may not be vertical.

Parallax might not have been
2. removed
OCcur in the result if comnpletely.
3. Errors may thetop of the optical bench is not horizontal and also if the tips
of the twO ophcal needles and the pole of the concave mirror are not at the same horizontal level.