Difference between plane mirror and spherical mirror

Subject
Topic
Level
Highschool
Grade
11

Answer

The Difference between plane mirror and spherical mirror can be explained as under:

  • A plane is a flat surface. So a plane mirror is just a smooth, mirrored surface that is completely flat. This stops the image you see from being distorted. The opposite of this might be a fun-house mirror, where the various bends and shapes can make the image look ridiculous.
  • A sphere is the 3D version of a perfect circle - it's a shape with a consistent curve all the way around and a constant radius. So a spherical mirror is a mirror that has a consistent curve and a constant radius of curvature - a sphere-shaped mirror.
  • Spherical mirrors can be convex or concave, depending on which side you put the mirrored surface on. A convex mirror is a spherical mirror where the mirrored surface is on the outside of the spherical curve. And a concave mirror is a spherical mirror where the mirrored surface is on the inside of the spherical curve.
  • Plane mirrors produce virtual, upright images that are the same size as the object. Virtual, by the way, just means the image is formed behind the mirror instead of in front of it.
  • Concave mirrors produce different kinds of images, depending on whether the object is placed further away from the mirror than the focal point or inside the focal point. And convex mirrors always produce images that are upright, virtual and smaller than the object.

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