Q.The image of real object as seen through convex mirror is :
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🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Image Tracing in Spherical Mirrors
Because the law of reflection is obeyed at every point on a spherical mirror, the image of an object point can always be located graphically once any two of four standard construction rays are drawn from that point (their intersection, or the intersection of their backward extensions, is the image point). (i) A ray travelling parallel to the principal axis, after reflection, passes through (concave) or appears to come from (convex) the principal focus F. (ii) A ray travelling through (concave) or directed towards (convex) the principal focus, after reflection, travels parallel to the principal axis -- the reverse of rule (i), following the principle of reversibility. (iii) A ray travelling through the centre of curvature C strikes the mirror normally (since C lies on every normal) and retraces its own path after reflection. (iv) A ray falling on the pole P reflects sym …
A convex mirror always makes the reflected rays diverge, so they only appear to meet at a point behind the mirror, giving a virtual image whatever the object …
A convex mirror always forms a virtual, erect, and diminished image of a real object, regardless of the object's position.
For a convex (diverging) mirror, the reflected rays from a real object always diverge behind the mirror. The eye traces these diverging rays back to an apparent point behind the mirror, so the image is always formed behind the mirror — it is virtual, erect, and smaller than the object, no ma …
- CBSE 2026Set A1 markMCQQ.The field of view is maximum for (A) plane mirror (B) convex mirror (C) concave mirror (D) cylindrical mirror
›Reveal solutionSolution
A convex mirror gives the largest field of view, which is why it is used as a rear-view/driver mirror.
A convex mirror always forms a small, erect, virtual image of objects over a very wide angle because its reflecting surface curves outward and diverges the reflected rays. This lets it gather light from a much broader region than a plane or concave mirror of the same size — …
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.A diminished virtual image can be formed only in(a) a plane mirror(b) a concave mirror(c) a convex mirror(d) a concave-parabolic mirror
›Reveal solutionSolution
Only a convex mirror always gives a diminished, virtual image for any object position.
- A plane mirror always forms a virtual image of the same size as the object (not diminished).
- A concave mirror forms a virtual image only when the object is between the pole and focus, and in that case the image is magnified, not diminished. …
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Why are convex mirror reflectors used in street lights?
›Reveal solutionSolution
A convex reflector diverges the light from the bulb, spreading it over a wide area of road/field, whereas a plane or concave reflector would send it out as a narrow, concentrated beam.
A convex mirror is diverging — parallel or diverging rays reflected from it spread out further, and it forms a virtual, erect, diminished image for objects placed anywhere in front. Placed behind a light source, this diverging property means the reflected light rays fan outward over a much wider region rather than being concentrated in a narrow beam. For a street light, this is exactly what is wanted: the light should illuminate as large an area of the road/footpath as possible rather than being f …
- CBSE 2025Set D1 markMCQQ.Image formed by convex mirror is always (A) in between centre of curvature and focus (B) in between centre of curvature and infinity (C) in between pole and focus (D) none of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
For any real object, a convex mirror forms a virtual, erect, diminished image located behind the mirror between its pole and its focus.
A convex mirror is a diverging mirror. For an object placed anywhere in front of it, the reflected rays diverge and their backward extensions meet behind the mirror.
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- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The image of real object as seen through convex mirror is :(a) real(b) virtual(c) sometimes real, sometimes virtual(d) none of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
A convex mirror always forms a virtual, erect, and diminished image of a real object, regardless of the object's position.
For a convex (diverging) mirror, the reflected rays from a real object always diverge behind the mirror. The eye traces these diverging rays back to an apparent point behind the mirror, so the image is always formed behind the mirror — it is virtual, erect, and smaller than the object, no ma …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markQ.The size of the mirror does not affect the nature of image. (T/F)
›Reveal solutionSolution
This statement is True — the size (aperture) of a mirror affects only the brightness/field of view of the image, not its nature (real/virtual, erect/inverted, magnified/diminished).
The nature of the image formed by a mirror (whether real or virtual, erect or inverted, magnified or diminished) is determined entirely by the position of the object relative to the mirror's focal length and centre of curvature, via the mirror formula and magnification relations. The physical size of the mirror only determines how much of the reflected light (and hence …
- CBSE 2024Set 55/1/11 markMCQQ.For question 16, two statements are given – one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled Reason (R). Select the correct answer from the codes (A), (B), (C) and (D) below. (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A). (B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A). (C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false. (D) Assertion (A) is false and Reason (R) is also false. Assertion (A) : Plane and convex mirrors cannot produce real images under any circumstance. Reason (R) : A virtual image cannot serve as an object to produce a real image.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Both statements are false. A plane or convex mirror can form a real image when the light falling on it is already converging (a virtual object), so the Assertion's "under any circumstance" is too strong. And a virtual image can act as the object for a following optical element which then forms a real image, so the Reason is false too. The correct option is (D).
Real objects: why the Assertion feels true
For a real object — one whose diverging rays fall on the mirror — a plane mirror always forms a virtual image (the reflected rays diverge and only appear to meet behind the mirror), and a convex mirror always forms a virtual, erect, diminished image. If the Assertion had said "for a real object", it would be correct.
Virtual objects: the case that breaks the Assertion
The Assertion, however, claims plane and convex mirrors cannot produce real images "under any circumstance" — and that is false. Suppose a beam that is already converging (for example, light heading towards the focus point of a convex lens) strikes a plane mirror before it reaches that point. The point the rays were converging towards acts as a virtual object for the mirror. The plane mirror simply folds the converging beam, and the reflected rays actually meet in front of the mirror — a real image that can be caught on a screen. A convex mirror can likewise form a real image when its (virtual) object lies between the pole and the focus. So Assertion (A) is false.
Evaluating the Reason …
- CBSE 2024Set A1 markMCQQ.A large virtual image of object is formed by (A) concave mirror (B) convex mirror (C) plane mirror (D) concave lens
›Reveal solutionSolution
A concave mirror gives an enlarged virtual image when the object is within its focus.
Consider each option's virtual image:
- Concave mirror: if the object lies between the pole (P) and focus (F), the reflected rays diverge and appear to come from behind the mirror, forming a virtual, erect and magnified (large) image. (This is how a shaving/make-up mirror works.)
- Convex mirror: always forms a virtual image, but it is diminished, not large. …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If the magnification of a optical instrument is negative, then the image will always be formed -(a) Real and inverted(b) Virtual and erect(c) Real and erect(d) Virtual and inverted
›Reveal solutionSolution
By the Cartesian sign convention used for mirrors and lenses, a negative magnification means the image is inverted relative to the object — and an inverted image formed by a single mirror/lens is always real.
Magnification is defined as m=hh′=−uv (mirrors) or similarly for lenses, where h' and h are image and object heights.
- If m is negative, the image height h' has opposite sign to the object height h, meaning the image is inverted with respect to the object. …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.A virtual image larger than the object is formed in(a) Convex mirror(b) Concave mirror(c) Plane mirror(d) None of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
A concave mirror produces a magnified virtual image when the object is placed between its pole and focus; convex and plane mirrors only ever give diminished or same-size virtual images.
For a concave mirror, using the mirror formula v1+u1=f1: when the object lies between the pole P and the focus F (i.e. ∣u∣<∣f∣), the image formed is virtual, erect, and enlarged - this is the working principle of a shaving/makeup mirror. A convex mirror always forms a virtual, erect, but diminished image regardless of object position. A plane mirror a …
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.A virtual image larger than the object is formed in(1) Convex mirror(2) Concave mirror(3) Plane mirror(4) None of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
Only a concave mirror can produce a magnified virtual image, when the object is placed between its pole and focus.
A plane mirror always gives a virtual image of the SAME size as the object. A convex mirror always gives a diminished virtual image. Only a concave mirror, with the object placed between the pole (P) an …
- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markQ.In which mirror a magnified image is formed?
›Reveal solutionSolution
A concave (converging) mirror can form a magnified real or virtual image, unlike a convex mirror which always gives a diminished virtual image.
Spherical mirrors are of two types — concave (converging) and convex (diverging).
A convex mirror always forms a virtual, erect, and diminished image of an object, regardless of the object's position, because the reflected rays always diverge.
A concave mirror, on the other hand, forms images of different sizes depending on where the object is placed:
- Object beyond centre of curvature C: real, inverted, diminished image.
- Object at C: real, inverted, same-size image.
- Object between C and focus F: real, inverted, magnified image.
- Object at F: real, inverted, highly magnified image (at infinity). …
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