Concave Mirror
Why are you suddenly upside down?
Depending on your distance, the concave mirror produces an upright or upside-down image. This makes it easier to understand how curved mirrors form images.
The Science Behind It
The mirror curves inward. It converges light and creates images in space. Depending on the distance, the light rays meet in different ways: • Up close, the image is upright. • Farther away, the image is inverted. Up close, a so-called virtual image is formed: the light rays appear to come from the mirror. That is why your reflection looks upright and seems to be “behind” the mirror. Farther away, a real image is formed: the light rays actually meet in front of the mirror, creating an image in space. This image is upside down and seems to float in front of you. You can even reach out to touch it, but it is made only of light. The concave mirror shows that images can form not only in mirrors, but also in the space in front of them.
