Question

Which type of mirror can form a real image?

Answer 1

Hint: Recall the structures of concave mirror and convex mirror. The real image is formed if the reflected rays from the mirror can be focused on the screen. The virtual image can be formed by back tracing the reflected rays from the mirror.

Complete answer:
To answer this question we first need to understand the types of mirrors. There are two types of mirrors: plane mirror and spherical mirror. We know that a spherical mirror also has two types: concave mirror and convex mirror.

We know that if the image of the real object can be formed on the screen, it is known as real image and if the image cannot be focused on the screen, it is known as virtual image.

When the outer surface of the spherical mirror is painted, the inner surface reflects light rays. We know that such a type of lens is known as a concave mirror. When the inner surface of the spherical mirror is painted then it is known as convex mirror. In the convex mirror, the reflecting surface is the outer surface. Therefore, the rays reflected from the convex mirror diverge in all directions. So, we cannot form the real image of the object using a convex mirror as the image formed by the convex mirror is focused by back tracing the reflected rays from the outer surface.

In the concave mirror, the outer surface is painted and therefore, the inner surface acts as a reflecting surface. When the parallel rays from the objects fall on the concave mirror, the rays converge at a particular point. So, we can say that the real form formed by the concave mirror is the real image of the object.

Note: Plane mirror and convex mirror never forms a real image of the object but the concave mirror can form both virtual and real image of the object. Students should know the characteristics of plane mirror, convex mirror and concave mirror. Also, the structures of convex and concave mirrors should be known to answer this type of questions.