Magnification for Curved Mirrors

[NP04]

Homework Statement

What determines the size of the image produced by a curved mirror (in terms of magnification)?

Relevant Equations

M = -d0/di
+ = upright image = virtual
- = inverted image = real

Magnification

|M|<1 = smaller
|M|>1 = larger

This is my reasoning because the magnification is -d0/di so it is the ratio that matters. Because wouldn't the sign just affect the type of image?? If you consider the sign in image size, you are saying that only one type of image (real/virtual) can be smaller and only one type can be larger.

Please help.

 

[Drakkith]

Is your magnification equation correct? I've looked in two different places and they both show it as -di/d0.
So if your image is closer to the lens/mirror than the object is, you have a linear magnification whose absolute value is less than one. Otherwise it is greater than one.

Because wouldn't the sign just affect the type of image??

Yes, the sign just indicates whether you have an inverted (real) image or upright (virtual) image. It itself doesn't tell you anything about the size of the image.