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.
- 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:
- 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.
- Hypermetropia can be corrected by using:
Important Questions from Optics
Who was the first one to use a glass prism to obtain the spectrum of sunlight?
Twinkling of stars is due to:
In which a convex mirror is used?
A. Rear View mirrors in vehicles
B. Glass windows
C. Makeup Mirror
D. Kaleidoscope
An object is placed 10 cm in front of a lens. The image formed is real, inverted and of same size as the object. What is the focal length and nature of the lens?
The power of a lens is -2.5 D. The type of lens and its focal length are respectively:
