Physics Review Question

Unit: optics
Year: 1995 Question#: 90
Question: In the diagram below, a lamp 0.4 meter tall is placed 0.6 meter in front of a convex mirror.



Which diagram best represents an image of the lamp that could be formed by this mirror?

(1 ) 0.2 m tall
(2 ) 0.4 m tall
(3 ) 0.5 m tall
(4 ) 0.6 m tall

What is this question really asking?

Explanation by: Chuck

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Answer 1
0.2 m tall

Correct. A convex mirror produces a smaller image. Consider a security mirror in a convience store. That is a convex mirror. It shrinks a picture of the whole store onto the mirror.
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Answer 2
0.4 m tall

Incorrect. This answer is inconsistent with the properties of a convex mirror. This image would come from a flat mirror.
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Answer 3
0.5 m tall


Incorrect. This answer is inconsistent with the properties of a convex mirror. This image could come from a concave mirror.
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Answer 4
0.6 m tall

Incorrect. This answer is inconsistent with the properties of a convex mirror. This image could come from a concave mirror.

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What's this question really asking?

What type of image does a convex mirror produce? return to top

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