Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 9: Problem 36

Describe the three principal rays used to locate an image.

Short Answer

Expert verified
In summary, the three principal rays used to locate an image are: 1. Parallel Ray: A ray that travels parallel to the principal axis, reflecting or refracting in a way that it passes through or appears to pass through the focal point. 2. Focal Ray: A ray that passes through or appears to pass through the focal point before reflecting or refracting parallel to the principal axis. 3. Central Ray: A ray that passes through the center of curvature of a mirror or the center of a lens, reflecting or refracting back along the same path without deviation. These rays are helpful in determining the position and size of an image formed by mirrors and lenses in optics.

Step by step solution

01

Principal Ray 1: Parallel Ray

The first principal ray is parallel to the principal axis of the mirror or lens. It travels horizontally from the object towards the mirror or lens. After hitting the mirror or lens, this ray reflects or refracts in such a way that it either passes through or appears to pass through the focal point of the mirror or lens on the other side.
02

Principal Ray 2: Focal Ray

The second principal ray passes through or appears to pass through the focal point of the mirror or lens before reaching the mirror or lens. In the case of a converging (concave) mirror or lens, this ray travels through the focal point and reaches the mirror or lens, reflecting or refracting parallel to the principal axis. For a diverging (convex) mirror or lens, on the other hand, the ray travels as if it had come from the focal point, and after hitting the mirror or lens, it reflects or refracts parallel to the principal axis.
03

Principal Ray 3: Central Ray

The third principal ray passes through the center of curvature of a mirror or the center of a lens. This ray follows a straight path, and after hitting the mirror or passing through the lens, it reflects or refracts back along the same path. For a converging (concave) mirror or a lens with the object and image in the same medium (such as air), it passes through the center of curvature of the mirror or center of the lens undeviated. In the case of a diverging (convex) mirror, it appears to pass through the center of curvature after reflection.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

What is chromatic aberration? How can it be remediated?

What kind of mirror (concave, convex, or plane) do you think dental care workers use to examine patients' teeth and gums for disease? Explain your choice.

One sometimes hears the expression, "It was like shooting fish in a barrel!" This usually is taken to mean that the task, whatever it was, was easy to complete. But is it really easy to shoot fish in a barrel? Only if you know some optics! Suppose you're in a boat and spy a large fish a few meters away. If you want to shoot the fish, how should you aim? Above the image of the fish? Below it? Directly at the image? Explain your choice. (You may assume that the path of the projectile you fire will not be deviated from a straight line upon entering the water, unlike light.)

What is the ideal shape of concave mirrors used in telescopes?

If the wavelength of visible light were around \(10 \mathrm{~cm}\) instead of 500 \(\mathrm{nm}\) and we could still see it, what effect would this have on our ability to see diffraction and interference effects?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Energy Physics

Read Explanation

Oscillations

Read Explanation

Wave Optics

Read Explanation

Space Physics

Read Explanation

Radiation

Read Explanation

Physics of Motion

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free