Spherical Mirror Multiray
This applet shows how the clusters of rays bouncing off the top and bottom of an object and reflecting from points near F and H in a spherical mirror create an image.
- The arrow labeled D is the object whose reflection we see in the mirror. Move D to move the object relative to the mirror. Move D to the other side of the mirror to switch between converging and diverging types of mirror.
- Zoom out and move point B to change the size of the mirror.
- Dashed lines show where diverging reflected light appears to have come from.
Move points H and F (near the axis) and observe that there is one point that all the rays from the top of the object appear to pass through and a second point that all the reflections from the bottom of the object appear to pass through. Click the show image check-box to see how these two points are related to the image we see in this mirror.