Spherical Mirror Center Point
The center of the reflecting surface of a spherical mirror is a specific, important point used in optics.
Defining the Mirror Pole
This geometric center of the mirror's surface is called the pole.
- The pole is the midpoint of the mirror's aperture (the exposed reflecting area).
- It lies on the principal axis of the mirror.
Distinguishing Optical Terms
Other terms relate to the sphere from which the mirror is a part, not the mirror's surface center itself:
- Principal Axis: The line joining the pole and the center of curvature.
- Center of Curvature: The center of the sphere of which the mirror is a part.
- Focus: A point related to the convergence/divergence of reflected light rays.
Thus, the center of the reflecting surface is the pole.
Similar Questions
- The ability of a medium to refract light is also expressed in terms of its:
- The lens which is thin in the middle and thick at its periphery is called a:
- Which colour deviates the least when light passes through a prism?
- Shadows are formed when _____ objects come in the path of light.
- If a lens has a focal length of $25\text{ cm}$, what will be the power of that lens?
- Which kind of mirrors is used as rear view wing mirrors in vehicles?
- For a person with Hypermetropia or far-sightedness, the near point, is _____ farther away from the normal near point.
- Light travels in a:
- Which type of mirror is used by dentists to see large images of patients' teeth?
- The blue colour of the sky is due to the:
Important Questions from Optics
Which one of the following colours may be obtained by combining green and red colours?
Which of the following are the primary colours of light?
Directions: The following items consist of two statements, Statement I and Statement II. You are to examine these two statements carefully and select the answers to these items using the code given below:
Statement I: Diamond is very bright.
Statement II: Diamond has very low refractive index
A non-SI unit called 'nit' is the unit of which of the following photometric quantities used to measure a multitude of light intensity?
Which among the following is used as a reflector in search lights?
