Ray Diagrams for Concave Mirrors and its use

 For a Concave Mirror, an object can be placed at any position so that image is created at different - different positions. We can find image position, its nature, and its size using Ray Diagrams.

 To get an image of an object we need at least two rays coming from the object to meet somewhere. In order to this, we follow rules of making a ray diagram in the mirror.

Case - 1

Object(AB) is placed at infinity

  Here as shown in figure two light rays parallel to Principal Axis pass through Focus after reflection. So the image is formed on the Focus of the mirror.

Result:-

Object Position	At Infinity
Image Position	At Focus (F)
Nature of Image	Real and Inverted
Image Size	Point Sized

Case - 2

An object placed beyond the Center of Curvature (C)

Result:-

Object Position	Beyond Center of Curvature (C)
Image Position	Between Focus (F) and Center of Curvature (C)
Nature of image	Real and Inverted
Image Size	Smaller

Case - 3

An object placed at the Center of Curvature (C)

Result:-

Object Position	At Center of Curvature (C)
Image Position	At Center of Curvature (C)
Nature of image	Real and Inverted
Image Size	Same

Case - 4

An object placed between the Center of Curvature (C) and Focus (F)

Result:-

Object Position	Between Center of Curvature (C) and Focus (F)
Image Position	Beyond Center of Curvature (C)
Nature of image	Real and Inverted
Image Size	Enlarged

Case - 5

An object placed at Focus (F)

Result:-

Object Position	At Focus (F)
Image Position	At Infinity
Nature of image	Real and Inverted
Image Size	Highly Enlarged

Case - 6

An object placed between Focus (F) and Pole (P)

Result:-

Object Position	Between Focus (F) and Pole (P)
Image Position	Behind Mirror
Nature of image	Virtual and Erect
Image Size	Enlarged

Let us Summarise it all

Object Position	Image Position	Nature of Image	Image Size
Infinity	Focus (F)	Real and Inverted	Point Sized
Beyond C	Between F and C	Real and Inverted	Smaller
At C	At C	Real and Inverted	Same
Between F and C	Beyond C	Real and Inverted	Enlarged
At F	At Infinity	Real and Inverted	Highly Enlarged
Between F and P	Behind Mirror	Virtual and Erect	Enlarged

Uses of Concave Mirror

• It's used in the torchlight, searchlight,  vehicle headlights to get a powerful parallel beam of light.
• It's used by dentists to see a large image of teeth of patients.
• It's used in a solar furnace as it helps to concentrate rays of sunlight at one point. It develops heat energy and later used for cooking or some other purpose as needed.
• It's used in a shaving mirror to see a large image of our face.