Finding magnification, object distance from the mirror, and radius of curvature

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem where a 10cm high object is placed in front of a mirror and a 5cm high virtual image is produced at a distance of -30cm. The person needs to find the magnification, object distance, and radius of curvature of the mirror. They have some equations and hints, but are unsure of how to approach the problem. The expert suggests using the magnification equation and the equation for focal length to solve for the object distance and radius of curvature. The person thanks the expert for the helpful explanation.
  • #1
jkeyes2
3
0

Homework Statement


You placed a 10cm high object in front of a mirror and got 5cm high virtual image at (-30cm). (Hint: watch the sign convention)
a. Find the magnification
b. Find the object distance from the mirror
c. Find the radius of curvature of the mirror

then I have to know if the mirror is convex or concave and if it is upright or inverted, but I think I can figure that out if I find the solutions to these problems.


Homework Equations


I've figured out from the information that Ho= 10cm, Hi= 5cm, I think f= -30cm
For object distance, I can't figure out how I can possibly figure that out without any distances given. I'm not supplied with distance from focal point.
Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

and for radius, I have no idea where to begin.

The Attempt at a Solution


for part a. M=Hi/Ho=5cm/10cm=1/2cm ? So does Magnitude equal 1/2cm?

I am not good at science, I am taking this as my gen-ed required science for my major. PLEASE help however you can.
Thanks so much :-)
 
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  • #2
Hello,

let s= object distance=x, s'=image distance=-30cm, h= object height=10cm, h'=image height=5cm, f=focal length=y and R=Radius of curvature=z

For part A you have the right answer as m=-[itex]\frac{s'}{s}[/itex] Except you thought -30 is focal length which it is not, its where the image appears to be.

For part B you can use the following equation [itex]\frac{1}{f}[/itex]=[itex]\frac{1}{s}[/itex]+[itex]\frac{1}{s'}[/itex]. You don't know object distance but you can work it out from magnification equation, m=-[itex]\frac{s'}{s}[/itex] we also know |m|=[itex]\frac{h'}{h}[/itex] so you can work out what s is.

For part C Radius of curvature is simply 2x Focal length.

Hope this helps
 
  • #3
that helps so much! thank you!
 

1. How do you find the magnification of an object using a mirror?

The magnification of an object using a mirror can be found by dividing the height of the image by the height of the object. This can also be expressed as the ratio of the image distance to the object distance.

2. What is the object distance from the mirror?

The object distance from the mirror is the distance between the object and the mirror. This can be measured by taking the distance from the mirror's surface to the object's surface.

3. How do you calculate the radius of curvature of a mirror?

The radius of curvature of a mirror can be calculated by measuring the distance from the center of the mirror to its surface. This can also be calculated by measuring the distance from the focal point to the center of the mirror and then doubling that value.

4. What is the relationship between object distance and image distance?

The relationship between object distance and image distance is that they are inversely proportional to each other. This means that as the object distance increases, the image distance decreases, and vice versa.

5. How does the curvature of a mirror affect the image formed?

The curvature of a mirror affects the image formed by determining the magnification and the position of the image. A more curved mirror will create a larger or more magnified image, while a flatter mirror will create a smaller or less magnified image.

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