How does light refelct off concave and convex mirrors?

Question

Hello, Can someone help me answer these questions? Thanks!

When light rays reflect off a CONCAVE mirror what happens to the rays?

When light rays reflect off a CONVEX mirror what happens to the rays? Does the convex mirror have a focus? Why/why not?

Describe a practical applicatoion of a convex mirror?

Answer 1

The simple answers are that light rays converge to a focal point from a concave (converging) mirror and diverge from a virtual focal point from a convex (diverging) mirror. The 'focus' of the convex mirror is virtual since the rays diverge. This all assumes the incident rays are parallel and near the principle axis.

Did you ever notice the warning on the right-side mirror of a car that "objects are closer than they appear"? This is a convex mirror application.

You might explore the Glenbrook site for a deeper understanding.