Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
A
C
F
′
B
I
O
C
F
′
Figure 14-4.
A.
Parallel rays, incident upon a convex mirror, appear to emerge from
the secondary focal point,
F
. The dotted lines that extend from the center of curvature
are radii of curvature; they are perpendicular to the mirror's surface.
B.
Ray tracing
shows that the image formed by this convex mirror is virtual, erect, and minified. The
virtual image is located behind the mirror.
′
POWER OF MIRRORS
It is relatively straightforward to adapt the principles and formulae that apply to
spherical refracting surfaces to mirrors.
2
To do so, we must recognize that there is
only one medium (usually air), and that after reflection, the direction of the rays is
reversed.
2. Whereas the branch of optics dealing with refraction is referred to as
dioptrics
, the branch dealing
with mirrors is
catoptrics
.
