Difference Between Concave and Convex Mirror
Convex and concave mirrors are both spherical mirrors, but they differ in shape, image formation, and everyday uses. A concave mirror has an inward-curved reflecting surface and focuses light to a point, while a convex mirror bulges outward and spreads light rays apart. Because of these opposite behaviours, the images formed by them are also different. Concave mirrors can produce real or virtual images that may be magnified or inverted, making them useful in headlights, shaving mirrors, and solar devices. Convex mirrors, on the other hand, always form a virtual, upright, and smaller image, giving a wide field of view. This is why they are used as rear-view and safety mirrors. Understanding these differences helps students in exams and real-life applications.
This Story also Contains
- Difference between Convex and Concave Mirrors
- Definition Of Convex Mirror
- Definition Of Concave Mirror
- Surface Difference Between Concave and Convex Mirrors
- Characteristics of Concave and Convex Mirrors
- Uses of Concave and Convex Mirror
- Summary
Difference between Convex and Concave Mirrors
Understanding the difference between concave and convex mirrors is very important in physics. This topic is also asked very often in school exams and competitive exams. To make the concept easy to learn, the differences between concave and convex mirrors are given below in a simple table. This helps students compare both mirrors quickly and remember the points better.
| S.I No | Feature | Concave Mirrors | Convex Mirrors |
| 1 | Shape | • Has a curved surface that curves inward | • Has a curved surface that bulges outward |
| 2 | Focal Point | • Has a real focal point in front of the mirror | • Has a virtual focal point behind the mirror |
| 3 | Nature of mirror | • Diverging Mirror | • Converging Mirror |
| 4 | Image creation | • Creates enlarged images | • Creates diminishes images |
| 5 | Centre of curvature | • In front of the mirror | • Behind the mirror |
| 6 | Image size | • Magnified | • Shrunk |
| 7 | Field of view | • Provides a narrower field of view | • Provides a wider view of the field |
| 8 | Focal length | • Positive focal length | • Negative Focal length |
| 9 | Image | • Produce real images or virtual images depending on the object's position relative to the focal point | • Produce virtual images (small and upright) regardless of the object's distance |
| 10 | Uses | • Used in telescopes, headlights, makeup mirrors, and dental instruments | • Used in vehicle side mirrors, road safety mirrors, security mirrors, and traffic mirrors |
| 11 | Projection of image | • Images can be projected on the screen | • Virtual images formed cannot be projected on the screen |
Definition Of Convex Mirror
Convex mirror: A spherical mirror whose reflecting surface is bulging (or curved) outwards, opposite to the centre of the sphere is called convex mirror.
A convex mirror is a reflective surface that bulges outward, causing light rays to diverge after reflecting on the surface. Convex mirrors always produce virtual images that are upright, reduced in size, and appear to be located behind the mirror. They are used in applications such as vehicle side mirrors and surveillance mirrors because they provide a wider field of view.
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Definition Of Concave Mirror
Concave mirror : A spherical mirror whose reflecting surface is curved inwards, facing towards the centre of the sphere is called concave mirror.
A concave mirror is a mirror with a curved surface that curves inward, resembling a bowl. It reflects incoming light rays that strike its surface inward, converging them to a focal point in front of the mirror. Concave mirrors produce inverted and magnified real images when the object is placed beyond the focal length. If the object is within the focal length, the image produced will be virtual, upright, and enlarged. Concave mirrors are used in applications like astronomical telescopes, headlights, and cosmetic mirrors.
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Surface Difference Between Concave and Convex Mirrors
A mirror with a curved reflecting surface is known as a curved mirror. Convex (bulging outward) or concave (bulging inward) surfaces are possible. The surfaces of most curved mirrors are formed like a section of a sphere. Below, students can check the surface difference between concave and convex mirrors with a diagram:
Concave Mirror
- The surface curves inward, resembling a bowl.
- Light rays converge at a focal point
- Have a positive focal length, with the focal point located in front of the mirror.
- Used in applications requiring magnification
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Convex Mirror
- The surface is bulging outward
- It causes light rays to spread apart
- The focal point is located behind the mirror
- Have a negative focal length
- Used in applications requiring a broader view
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Characteristics of Concave and Convex Mirrors
Characteristics of Concave Mirror
- The reflecting surface is curved inward, like the inside of a bowl.
- It is a converging mirror because it focuses parallel light rays at a point.
- It can form real and inverted images when the object is beyond the focus.
- It forms a virtual and erect image when the object is between the pole and focus.
- The image may be small, same size, or magnified depending on object position.
- Used in headlights, torches, solar cookers, shaving mirrors, etc.
Characteristics of Convex Mirror
- The reflecting surface is curved outward, like the back of a spoon.
- It is a diverging mirror because it spreads out parallel rays of light.
- It always forms a virtual, erect, and diminished image.
- The image is formed behind the mirror.
- It gives a wider field of view, making it useful for safety.
- Used in vehicle side mirrors, road safety mirrors, ATM corners, etc.
Uses of Concave and Convex Mirror
Uses of a Concave Mirror
- Used in shaving/makeup mirrors.
- In headlights and torches.
- Used by dentists to see an enlarged image of teeth.
- In solar cookers.
- In telescopes and microscopes for image formation.
Uses of Convex Mirror
- Used in rear-view mirrors of vehicles (gives wide field of view).
- Placed at road intersections and parking areas for safety.
- Used in ATM and surveillance cameras for monitoring.
- In shops and hospitals for wide-area observation.
- Used in street-light reflectors.
Summary
In this article, we discussed two types of mirrors, their uses, and the differences between them. A concave mirror is a spherical mirror with an inwardly curved reflection surface, whereas a convex mirror is a spherical mirror with an outwardly bulged reflecting surface. A concave mirror has a converging character and is referred to as a converging mirror, whereas a convex mirror has a diverging nature and is thus referred to as a diverging mirror. The focal length of the concave mirror is negative, and the focal length of the convex mirror is positive. A concave mirror's magnification might be less than, equal to, or greater than 1. A convex mirror, on the other hand, has a value of magnification that is less than 1.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Concave mirrors are converging mirrors, whereas convex mirrors are diverging.
A concave mirror is created when the outer surface of a spherical mirror is painted whereas A convex mirror has the inside surface of a spherical mirror painted.
The focal length of the concave mirror is negative because the focus is on the front side, but the focal length of the convex mirror is positive because the focus is on the backside.
The following are the three differences between concave and convex mirrors:
- A concave mirror is a spherical mirror with an inwardly curved reflection surface, whereas a convex mirror is a spherical mirror with an outwardly bulged reflecting surface.
- A concave mirror has a converging character and is so-referred to as a converging mirror, whereas a convex mirror has a diverging nature and is thus referred to as a diverging mirror.
- The focal length of the concave mirror is negative and the focal length of the convex mirror is positive.
Concave and convex mirrors are the types of spherical mirrors.
Concave mirrors have an inward curvature in the centre and reflect light inward to focus it on a single focal point. Concave mirrors provide a variety of images depending on the distance between the mirror and the item.
Convex mirrors have an outward bulge in the center that allows light to fall directly on the item. It's also known as a diverging mirror since it can diverge the rays that fall on its surface after reflection. This is a reference to the fact that parallel rays diverge when they touch the reflected surface of a convex mirror.
Full form of MIRROR - Image Reflection Refraction Object Rendering
Convex mirrors are used in vehicles as rear-view mirrors.
Concave mirrors are used for shaving because they magnify the reflection, providing clear and upright images to see the facial details.