Concave (converging) mirror Equation to find focal length for a thin lense Use “real-is-positive” for

signs
1
 n  1 1
 1
Front of
mirror Back of
mirror
f R1 R2
principal C f Real
axis object
Center of focal
curvature point (-)R₁ (+)R₂
Virtual (-) q
image
Double-concave
lense
Convex (diverging) mirror
f, the focal length is negative also.
Front of Back of
mirror mirror q, when object is far, is found from q=f, so it is
negative also.
principal f C
axis
focal Center of
point curvature

Sign convention for one refracting surface (example,

Sign convention for mirrors fish glass bowl)

Concave (converging) mirror Real

Front of Back of object
Front of
mirror Back of
surface
(+) p
surface
(+) R 1 Real
mirror
(+) p real virtual
R₂ image
(-) q
object image
(+) R
(+) q

(-) R Double-convex
real (+) q
image
n1 n2 lense

M is positive
back of front of
Convex (diverging) mirror
Front of surface surface
mirror Back of (-) p
mirror
virtual real (+) q
(+) p (-) R object image By Nasser M. Abbasi

(+) R
(-) q virtual
image n1 n2
M is negative
1
p  1q  1f n1

n2

n 2 n 1
p q R
Flat mirror
back of front of
Front of Back of surface surface Magnification formula
mirror mirror (-) p

q
(+) p
virtual
object
real
image
(+) q
M  h
h
 p
(-) q
virtual
image n1 n2
n1
M=1, p=q
p   n2
q