Question

State any two differences between convex and concave mirrors.

Answer 1

Hint: The spherical mirrors have curved surfaces. Concave mirror has the outer glass surface polished while a convex mirror has an inner glass surface polished. The surfaces of these mirrors curve the light rays in different ways.

Complete step-by-step answer:
There exist two types of spherical mirrors: concave mirror and convex mirror.
Concave mirror:
This mirror has its outer surface polished and inner surface reflects light.
The light rays which are incident on a concave mirror get converged or turned inwards. Due to this property, concave mirrors are also called converging mirrors.

The focus F of the mirror is situated in front of the mirror
The images formed by a concave lens are real images which are formed inverted and magnified.
Convex mirrors:
This mirror has its inner surface polished and outer surface reflects light.
The light rays which are incident on a convex mirror get diverged or turned outwards. Due to this property, convex mirrors are also called diverging mirrors.

The focus F of the mirror is situated behind the mirror.
The images formed by a convex lens are virtual images which are formed erect and diminished.
Note: 1. All the distances to the left of the mirrors are taken to be positive while all the distances to the right of the mirrors are taken to be negative. Due to this reason, the focal length of a concave mirror is positive while that of convex mirror is negative.
2. Real images can be obtained on a screen while virtual images cannot be obtained on a screen.