How is the formation of images by Spherical Mirrors illustrated through Ray Diagrams?

• Requirement: Image Localization with an Abundance of Emanating Rays: To construct the ray diagrams, in order to locate the image of an object using spherical mirrors, an arbitrarily large number of rays emanating from a point could be considered.

• Dual Rays in Reflection: Mechanics of Image Formation: The intersection of at least two reflected rays gives the position of the image of the point object. 
• Guiding Rays: Image Formation with Spherical Mirrors: Any two of the following rays can be considered for locating the image.
  • (i) A ray parallel to the principal axis, after reflection, will pass through the principal focus in case of a concave mirror or appear to diverge from the principal focus in case of a convex mirror. 
  • (ii) A ray passing through the principal focus of a concave mirror or a ray which is directed towards the principal focus of a convex mirror, after reflection, will emerge parallel to the principal axis.

• • (iii) A ray passing through the centre of curvature of a concave mirror or directed in the direction of the centre of curvature of a convex mirror, after reflection, is reflected back along the same path. 

• • • The light rays come back along the same path because the incident rays fall on the mirror along the normal to the reflecting surface. 
  • (iv) A ray incident obliquely to the principal axis, towards a point P (pole of the mirror), on the concave mirror or a convex mirror is reflected obliquely. 
    • The incident and reflected rays follow the laws of reflection at the point of incidence (point P), making equal angles with the principal axis. 

• In all the above cases the laws of reflection are followed. 
• At the point of incidence, the incident ray is reflected in such a way that the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence.

Mirror Magic: Image Formation with Spherical Mirrors

(a) Image formation by Concave Mirror

(b) Image formation by a Convex Mirror

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