Question

Which type of mirror is used in headlights of vehicles?

Answer 1

Hint: The mirrors in the headlights of vehicles are needed to concentrate the light being emitted from a small bulb to form a strong light beam, also to see distant objects which in turn can be used by the driver to view the road in front during dark hours or fog. So the used mirror must be such that it concentrates the light rays.

Complete step-by-step answer:
A headlamp of a vehicle is a lamp attached to the front of the vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. These headlamps are also often commonly referred to as headlights. The purpose of the headlights is to illuminate the roadway and facilitate fatigue-free and safe driving.
 Headlights and their light sources are thus irreplaceable vehicle components which are crucial for safe driving. Without headlights, divers will be unaware of road hazards right in front, which may have catastrophic results for their lives and vehicles itself too.
There is a very small bulb placed inside the cavity of the head light. Now, the light being emitted from this bulb has to be converged, to get a focused beam of light. Concave mirrors are mirrors with high converging power, as much that they are also called as converging mirrors.
A concave mirror or otherwise known as a converging mirror has a reflecting surface that is recessed inward. When an object is placed at its focus it produces its respective image at infinity (see figure). Thus they are used to focus light.

Therefore, concave mirrors are in headlights of vehicles as reflectors.

Note: Students confuse a lot between the purpose of a concave mirror and a convex mirror. An easy trick to remember and differentiate between both is to associate the term concave with cave, as cave is also a physical structure going inwards. So a concave mirror is one which has an inward bend. The purpose and usage of them can be understood using ray diagrams.