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Grade - 8 (BLE) Physics Light

Why is a plane mirror used for looking our face?

Why is a plane mirror used for looking our face?

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Tribhuvan University > Institute of Science and Technology > B.Sc. (CSIT)

Unlike other mirrors like a spherical mirror, plane mirrors cause regular reflection of light. When a parallel beam of light is incident on the surface of the plane mirror it is reflected back parallel. Also, the image formed on the plane mirror is not distorted, magnified, or diminished. The proportion of image size is the same as the proportion of object size.

Even though plane mirrors are used in an awful lot of places, the following are the common uses of plane mirrors:

  1. Plane mirrors are used in Periscopes and Kaleidoscopes.
  2. Plane mirrors are also used in vehicles and automobiles although spherical mirrors are also extensively used.
  3. Plane mirrors are used in a torch and overhead projectors for reflecting the light beams.
  4. Plane mirrors are heavily used in the bathroom.
  5. These kinds of mirrors are also used in hospitals and scientific instruments.

 

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Things to Remember From Light

  • A mirror is an instrument that forms an image by reflecting the rays of light falling on its surface coming from a source of light.
  • There are mainly two types of mirrors:
    1. plane mirror
    2. spherical mirror
  • If the surface of a mirror is a plane, it is called a plane mirror. It always forms a virtual image.
  • There are two types of spherical mirrors:
    1. concave mirror
    2. convex mirror
  • If the outer part of the mirror is raised and the middle part is uniformly lowered, the mirror is called a concave mirror. As a concave mirror converges the parallel rays of light at a point, it is also called a converging mirror.
  • If the outer part of the mirror is lowered and the middle part is uniformly raised, the mirror is called a convex mirror. Since a parallel beam of light diverges after reflection from the convex mirror, it is also called a diverging mirror.
  • A parallel beam of light reflected from a concave mirror converges at a point. But in a convex mirror, a parallel beam of light diverges after reflection in such a way that it appears as coming from a point which is called the focus.
  • The image which can be obtained on a screen is called real image and that cannot be obtained on a screen is called a virtual image.
  • A concave mirror forms all types of images such as real or virtual, enlarged or diminished according to the position of the object.
  • The convex mirror always forms a virtual and diminished image.
  • Concave mirrors are used in torch, search lights, as headlights of motors, as looking glass in parlors and saloons, in telescopes or in solar stoves, etc.
  • Convex mirrors are used to make looking glass of vehicles, reflectors in street lamps, etc.
  • The process of bending light when it passes from one medium to another is called the refraction of light.
  • Light bends towards normal when it passes from rarer to denser medium and bends away from normal when it passes from denser to rarer medium. The rays of light falling normally pass without bending.

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