Curved Mirrors

woman applying make-up in mirrorThis activity is available below or in a printable version.

illustrate iconCreate each of the situations below. In doing so, choose a type of mirror (convex or concave), a radius of curvature, and an object position to create the effect described. The object must be properly placed relative to the focal point or center of curvature to create the desired effect. Draw a scaled ray diagram on grid paper to support your choices for each of the following situations:

  1. To project an enlarged image of a luminous object on a screen. 

  2. To use as a passenger side view mirror on a car. 

  3. To get two times magnification for applying eye makeup.

You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.

Options for creating and submitting your graphs include:

  • Hand-draw the graphs using graph paper and then take a picture of it for submission to the assignment's dropbox.
  • Hand-draw the graphs using graph paper and then scan it for submission to the assignment's dropbox.
  • Utilize a spreadsheet or graphing program to create the graphs for submission to the assignment’s dropbox.

A digital file containing a grid is available in the Developmental Module.

Assign Icon
When you have completed the assignment below, submit it to the dropbox.