What is a Concave mirror?

A concave mirror can be defined as a reflective surface that is curved inward, like the interior of a sphere. The reflection takes from the inner part of the sphere. When we place an object in front of a concave mirror, based on the position of the object from the mirror, we may get real or virtual images.

While convex mirrors can’t focus light, concave mirrors can focus light because of which they are valuable in many optical systems.

Properties of Concave Mirror

• Concave Mirrors are curved inward, meaning the reflective surface bows towards the observer.
• These mirrors converge in light (parallel rays of light come together). So they are called as Converging Mirrors.
• Image can be either real or virtual depending on the position of the object.
• Concave Mirrors have a narrower field of view.
• Magnification may be positive or negative.

Applications of Concave Mirror

• Used in Torch Light: Concave mirrors are used in torchlights to reflect and concentrate beams of light. By focusing light beams, these mirrors enhance the beam’s brightness and intensity, making it suitable for illumination.

• Used in Reflecting Telescopes: Concave mirrors are generally used in telescopes such as Newtonian telescopes to gather and focus light from different celestial objects which in turn help in producing high-quality images of stars and other galaxies.

• Used as Makeup/Shaving Mirrors: These are designed to enlarge users’ reflections and increase lighting, making it easier to look at minute details and work with precision.

• Used as Solar Concentrators: Concave mirrors are used in solar concentrators to focus solar radiation at one point, which can be used for generating electricity or heating fluids in industries.

The main difference between concave and convex mirror is that concave mirror has reflecting surface curved inwards while convex mirror has reflecting surface curved outward. Apart from this, the other main difference is that concave mirror is converging while convex mirror is diverging.

In this article, we will learn in detail about difference between concave and convex mirror with a brief description about concave and convex mirror.