Dallas Smith 3rd Period November 5, 2013 Physics Research Project In the book chapter 13 section 3 talks about

the two different types of mirrors: concave and convex. The three objectives are to distinguish between the different types of mirrors, describe a simple ray diagram, and to also distinguish between real and virtual images.Concave mirrors are mirrors that have a slightly inward curve like the inside of a spoon or like a make-up mirror. The image that is produced when looking into a concave mirror is either real (inverted) or virtual (upright). How the image looks depends on the distance the object is from the mirror. A few examples of a concave mirror are the headlights on a car, a dentist mirror, or the inside of a bowl. Convex mirrors curve outward like the backside of a spoon or like the outside of a bowl. The imaged that is reflected from the convex mirror is smaller, upright, and virtual. A side-view mirror on your car and security mirrors that are in stores are examples of convex mirrors. In a simple ray diagram for a concave mirror the object is in front of the mirror, the light from the top of the object travels to the mirror and bounces off and produces the top of the reflected object which is inverted. The same goes for the bottom of the original object. The light from the bottom of the original object travels to the mirror and bounces off which makes the bottom on the reflected object and it is also inverted. In the ray diagram for a convex mirror the original object is in front of the mirror and the light rays coming from the object reflect through the mirror and stops at the center of the curvature. A light ray is reflected from the focal point behind the mirror and where the points intersect is where the reflected image is made. The image is going to be

virtual (upright) and smaller than the original one. A virtual image, which is the same as upright, is produced when looking inside a convex mirror; it just appears smaller than the original image. Looking inside of a concave mirror the image that you see is real which is upside down or inverted,magnified, and also virtual. The image that is produced all depends in the distance the object is from the surface of the mirror. After doing research on the different types of mirrors and their characteristics I now better understand why an image looks different when I look into my side mirror on my car driving down the road compared to looking inside of my make-up mirror. Bibliography Davidson, M., Parry-Hill, M., & Fellers, T. (n.d.). Molecular Expressions: Physics of Light and Color - Concave Spherical Mirrors: Interactive Java Tutorial. Molecular Expressions: Physics of Light and Color - Concave Spherical Mirrors: Interactive Java Tutorial. Retrieved October 28, 2013, from http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/mirrors/concavemirrors/

Levine, J. (n.d.). Topic 18. Real and virtual images; plane mirrors. Topic 18. Real and Virtual images; plane mirrors. Retrieved October 28, 2013, from http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys1230/phys1230_fa01/topic18.html

Hewitt, P. G. (2002). Conceptual physics: the high school physics program. Needham, Mass.: Prentice Hall.

Serway, R. A., &Faughn, J. S. (2009).Holt physics. Austin, Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Neaves, S., & Davidson, M. (n.d.). Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics, and You: Light and Color - Reflection of Light. Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics, and You: Light and Color Reflection of Light. Retrieved October 28, 2013, from http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/lightandcolor/reflection.html

Villanueva, John. "Convex Mirror."Universe Today RSS.N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://www.universetoday.com/45228/convex-mirror/>.

Flinn, Gallagher. "How Mirrors Work." HowStuffWorks. Discovery Company, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/mirror3.htm>.