How to find the center of curvature in a concave mirror

How to find the center of curvature in a concave mirror?

The simplest method is to place a ball on the convex surface of the mirror The point at which the ball intersects each of the two mirror surfaces will be the “center of curvature” of the concave surface. The ball should be small enough that it does not touch the edges of the mirror.

How to find the center of convergence in a concave mirror?

When you look into a concave mirror, your eyes are not focused on the image itself but the point where the rays of light converge. The center of convergence is in the same place as the center of curvature, so you can find it by turning the concave mirror until the point of convergence becomes visible in the center of the concavity.

How to find the radius of curvature in a concave mirror?

The radius of curvature for a convex mirror is the distance from the center of the mirror to the point of contact of the most concave surface with a line that passes through the center of the mirror. Finding the radius of a concave mirror is similar. This time, the line is replaced by a circle with the diameter of the mirror. The center of the concave mirror is located at the center of the circular line.

How to find the center of curvature

Using a convex or concave glass is quite easy, as all you have to do is align the two ends of a string on the edge of the concave mirror so they are perfectly parallel with each other. If the string looks as if it’s going into the concave area of the mirror, you’ve found the center of curvature. But if the string runs along the surface of the mirror, you’ve hit a dead end.

How to find the radius of curvature of a concave mirror?

The radius of curvature R is the distance between the center of the concave mirror and a single point on the curved surface of the mirror. A concave mirror is easier to work with if the radius of curvature is large. The larger the radius of curvature, the more convex the mirror will appear and the narrower the angle of view. This can be very helpful, particularly in shop windows.