Uncover the Mystery: Why You See a Real Image in a Concave Mirror

[doodlamani]

Hi

Why is that you can see a REAL image in a concave mirror when you are looking into the mirror?


i tried searching the answer on the net but could not find the answer.
please help

thanx in advance.

 

[Farsight]

I found this quite quickly:

http://www.Newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy00/phy00482.htm

If this is a homework question please use the appropriate thread.

 

[doodlamani]

i read that but was not clear so asked u all.
any other answers please.

 

[Doc Al]

It's difficult to answer your question without knowing what you already understand about reflection. Do you know what a "real" image means? Do you understand the law of reflection? Try this: http://www.bismarckstate.edu/hyperphysics/hbase/geoopt/mirray.html#c3"

 

[doodlamani]

Help

It's difficult to answer your question without knowing what you already understand about reflection. Do you know what a "real" image means? Do you understand the law of reflection? Try this: http://www.bismarckstate.edu/hyperphysics/hbase/geoopt/mirray.html#c3"

yes i do no the basix. the image should be inverted , real (can be obtained on a screen) and is in front of the mirror. but this not the case practically. it is inside the miiro, inverted and appears virtual. please help.

 

[Doc Al]

but this not the case practically. it is inside the miiro, inverted and appears virtual.

Whether a concave mirror provides a real image or a virtual image depends on how far the object is from the mirror. To see a real image the object must be further away than the focal length. Please study the link I provided for more details.

 

[doodlamani]

i think i could not pose my question correctly. let me try again. i know that a virtual image is seen enlarged and erect when the object is between focus and pole of hte concave mirror. in case hte object is beyond f then the image should be in front of mirror(real and inverted).. my question si how are we able to see the image of the object (which is supposed to be in front of hte mirror) in the mirror( u see it inverted and diminished).acn anyone please now tell me how are we seeeing the supposed to be real image in the mirror

 

[cesiumfrog]

in case hte object is beyond f then the image should be in front of mirror(real and inverted).. my question si how are we able to see the image of the object (which is supposed to be in front of hte mirror) in the mirror( u see it inverted and diminished).acn anyone please now tell me how are we seeeing the supposed to be real image in the mirror

Just to verify: you've put the object between the focus and the centre of curvature (2f) of a concave mirror, so as to produce a real inverted image beyond that centre of curvature. Your experimental results completely agree with the theory (I don't know what you mean by diminished), but you don't understand why you can actually see a "real image"?

In that case, you see it for the same reason you see any other (real or virtual) image: draw some big detailed ray diagrams of different cases and you should understand that wherever you look from (well, provided you're still in the beam's path) the light rays which (seem to) reach your eye coming from any particular spot on the image actually originate from the corresponding spot on the object. Hence, how could your eyes ever distinguish the image from a real object (other than size, orientation and position)?