Drawing Ray Diagram for Concave Mirror

Rules in Drawing Ray Diagram

Rule No. 1
The ray of light through C will be reflected back through C.



Rule No. 2
The ray of light parallel to the principal axis will be reflected through F.

Rule No. 3

The ray of light through F will be reflected parallel to the principal axis.







Rules in Drawing Ray Diagram

Rule No. 1

A ray towards C is reflected back along its own path.

Rule No. 2

A ray parallel to the principal axis is reflected as if it came from F.

Rule No. 3

A ray towards F is reflected parallel to the principal axis.






  1. Any two rays are sufficient to fix the position and size of the image. Look for the point where the rays cross after reflection from the mirror.
  2. The interception of the two rays is the focus of the ray.


Example

The Ray Diagram and the Types of Image

The nature and size of the image formed by concave mirrors depends on the distance of the object from the mirror, as explained in the following sections.