Question 1

A person stands 2 meters in front of a plane mirror. What is the distance between the person and their image formed by the mirror?

Accepted Answer

$$4\ \mathrm{m}$$

Question 2

Which of the following statements best describes the image formed by a plane mirror?

Accepted Answer

The image is virtual and upright.

Question 3

A car uses a convex mirror as a side-view mirror. Which property of the image formed is most useful for this application?

Accepted Answer

The image is virtual and diminished.

Question 4

A spherical mirror has a radius of curvature $$R = 40\ \mathrm{cm}. $$What is its focal length $$f$$?

Accepted Answer

$$f = 20\ \mathrm{cm}$$

Question 5

Which equation correctly relates the object distance $$s$$, image distance $$s'$$, and focal length $$f$$ for a spherical mirror?

Accepted Answer

$$\dfrac{1}{f} = \dfrac{1}{s} + \dfrac{1}{s'}$$

Question 6

A pencil appears bent when placed in a glass of water. This phenomenon is best explained by which principle?

Accepted Answer

Refraction due to change in medium

Question 7

A thin lens has a focal length of $$+10\ \mathrm{cm}. An $$object is placed $$30\ \mathrm{cm}$$ from the lens. Where is the image formed?

Accepted Answer

$$s' = 15\ \mathrm{cm}$$\ (on the opposite side of the lens from the object)

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the difference between images formed by plane mirrors and thin lenses?

Accepted Answer

Plane mirrors always produce virtual images, while thin lenses can produce both real and virtual images.

Question 9

A biconvex lens is used to focus sunlight onto a piece of paper to start a fire. Which property of the lens is being utilized?

Accepted Answer

The lens converges parallel rays to a real focus.

Question 10

A plano-concave lens is placed in air. Which statement about its focal length is correct?

Accepted Answer

The focal length is negative.

Question 11

A student observes that the letters on an ambulance appear reversed in their car's rearview mirror. What optical property is responsible for this?

Accepted Answer

Left-right reversal by a plane mirror

Question 12

Which of the following is true about the magnification $$m$$ produced by a plane mirror?

Accepted Answer

$$m = 1$$

Question 13

A ray of light passes from air ($$n = 1.00) $$into glass ($$n = 1.52) at an $$angle. What happens to the speed and direction of the light?

Accepted Answer

The speed decreases and the ray bends toward the normal.

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the image formed by a diverging lens for a real object placed in front of it?

Accepted Answer

The image is virtual, upright, and smaller than the object.

Question 15

A glass rod ($$n = 1.52) is $$placed in air and then in water ($$n = 1.33). In $$which medium does the rod appear less bent to an observer looking from the side?

Accepted Answer

It appears less bent in water.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a principal ray used in ray tracing for mirrors and lenses?

Accepted Answer

A ray that bends at a right angle at the surface.

Question 17

A student uses a thin lens to project an image of a distant building onto a screen. If the image is sharp and inverted, what type of lens is being used and where is the image formed?

Accepted Answer

A converging lens; image is real and on the opposite side of the lens.

Question 18

Which sign convention is correct for the object distance $$s$$ and image distance $$s'$$ for a mirror?

Accepted Answer

$$s is $$positive if the object is on the same side as the incoming ray.

Question 19

A ray of light passes from water ($$n = 1.33) $$into air ($$n = 1.00). $$Which of the following occurs?

Accepted Answer

The ray bends away from the normal.

Geometric Optics: Mirrors and Lenses (Chapter 24 Study Notes)

Study Guide - Practice Questions

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