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Ray Diagrams For Mirrors definitions

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Terms in this set (15)

  • Ray Diagrams
    Visual representations showing the path of light rays reflecting off mirrors, following the law of reflection.
  • Concave Mirror
    A mirror with a surface that curves inward, converging parallel light rays to a focal point.
  • Convex Mirror
    A mirror with a surface that curves outward, causing parallel light rays to diverge.
  • Focus
    The point where converging light rays meet after reflecting off a concave mirror.
  • Focal Length
    The distance from the mirror's apex to the focus, denoted by the letter F.
  • Central Axis
    An imaginary line that passes through the apex of a mirror, used as a reference in ray diagrams.
  • Apex
    The point on a mirror's surface where the central axis intersects, also known as the vertex.
  • Image
    A visual representation formed by the convergence of light rays reflected from a mirror.
  • Virtual Image
    An image formed by diverging light rays that appear to converge at a point behind the mirror.
  • Apparent Focus
    The perceived point of convergence for diverging rays from a convex mirror, not a real focus.
  • Plane Mirror
    A flat mirror that reflects light without converging or diverging, producing virtual images.
  • Law of Reflection
    The principle stating that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection for light rays.
  • Incident Angle
    The angle between the incoming light ray and the normal to the surface at the point of incidence.
  • Reflected Ray
    The light ray that bounces off a mirror surface, following the law of reflection.
  • Colimated Light
    Light rays that are parallel to each other, often used in ray diagrams for mirrors.