Experiment 8: Concave and Convex Mirrors

Purpose: To observe the images produced by convex and concave mirrors.

Materials:

• convex mirror
• concave mirror
• marker
• ruler
• worksheets in lab manual

Part A: Convex Mirror

1.         Place an object in front of a convex mirror. Describe the image characteristics as completely as you can.

a)     Does the image appear larger than, smaller than, or the same size as the object?

smaller

b)     Is the image upright or inverted?

upright 

c)      Where is the image located relative to the position of the mirror and object?

 The object image looks closer than the actual object.

2.     Move the object closer to the mirror. Describe the changes in the image. Compare the new image with your answers in Step 1.

The new image just looks very large.

3.            Move the object further from the mirror than it was in Step 1. Describe the changes in the image. Compare the new image with your answers in Step 1. 

The new image appears to be getting smaller.

Calculations:

Part B: Concave Mirror

1.         Place an object in front of a convex mirror. Describe the image characteristics as completely as you can.

a)     Does the image appear larger than, smaller than, or the same size as the object?

larger

b)     Is the image upright or inverted?

inverted 

c)      Where is the image located relative to the position of the mirror and object?

 The object image looks closer than the actual object.

2.     Move the object closer to the mirror. Describe the changes in the image. Compare the new image with your answers in Step 1.

The new image appears very large and very distorted.

3.            Move the object further from the mirror than it was in Step 1. Describe the changes in the image. Compare the new image with your answers in Step 1. 

The new image appeared smaller, inverted, and closer to the image relative to the mirror-object distance.

Calculations:

Conclusion:
The magnification of a concave mirror is negative when the object is far away which makes the image become inverted. For a convex mirror, the magnification is positive since the image produced is upright.