Curated OER
Physical Principles in Living Systems
Seventh graders experiment with white light, plane mirrors, and curved mirrors in order to demonstrate the physical principles of living systems. In this physical principles lesson plan, 7th graders take 3 days to discover what happens...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Ray Diagrams for Mirrors
Provides a discussion of curved mirrors and ray diagrams. Shows and explains the process of drawing a ray diagram to determine the image location, size, and orientation.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Microscopy Primer: Concave Mirrors: Real Images
Florida State University offers an interactive Java applet demonstrating the object-image relationships for a concave mirror. The position of the object can be dragged along the principal axis and the location, orientation, and size of...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12 Exploration Series: Simulations: Physics: Cassegrain Telescope
[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about the law of reflection by curved mirrors and how the shape and size of a telescope impacts its observing capabilities.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Lesson 3: Concave Mirrors
Lesson 3 of this tutorial on refraction is on concave mirrors. Content that is covered includes the anatomy of curved mirrors, reflection of light and image formation, ray diagrams, image characteristics for concave mirrors, plus more.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Mirrors in Imaging
A discussion from Georgia State University of different types of mirrors and the images which they create. Discusses different instruments which use mirrors to produce images.
Other
University of Montana: Curved Mirrors
This calculus tutorial with curved mirrors includes narrative and video presentations as well as other interactive tools.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Parabolas
Recreate this optical illusion using two parabolic mirrors to make it appear like an object is in the center, when it is really just its image. This experiment requires special equipment which may need to be purchased.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Spherical Reflections
Investigate the behavior of light that is reflected off a spherical mirrored surface.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Touch the Spring
Explore the behavior of light as it reflects off a concave mirror in this optical illusion.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Water Sphere Lens
Demonstrate for students how a round bowl of water can act as both a magnifier and a lens.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Lens
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a lens is and what it does, concave and convex lenses.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Mirrors
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How a mirror forms images and how to distinguish between real and virtual images, and the different types of mirrors and the images they produce.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Image From Converging Mirror 1
Determine the height and location of the image formed by a converging mirror.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Practice Problems: Image From Diverging Mirror
Determine the height and location of the image formed by a diverging mirror.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Parabolic Mirror: Working, Principle and Applications
Explains how a parabolic mirror works and how to calculate its geometric properties. Discusses the two forms - parabolic troughs and parabolic dishes - and how these are used in solar panels and satellite dishes. Other real-life...
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: The Way a Mirror Works Lab (Concave)
This lab is designed to have students investigate the relationship between the radius of curvature and the location of the focal point for a mirror like situation.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Converging Mirror Lab
This mini lab was designed to quickly find the properties of an image created by a converging mirror. You will be able to vary the shape of the mirror and the height and location of the object.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Reflection and Mirrors: Name That Image Interactive
Students participate in this skill-building activity where they explore how the location of an object in front of a curved mirror affects the characteristics of the projected image.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Reflection/ray Model of Light: Anatomy of a Curved Mirror
A physics tutorial focused on the behavior of light as it relates to concave mirrors.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Reflection and Ray Model of Light: Ray Diagrams Concave
In this physics tutorial, students investigate the method for drawing ray diagrams for objects placed at various locations in front of a concave mirror.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Reflection and Ray Model of Light: Spherical Aberration
An illustrated physics tutorial which explains the spherical aberration, an intrinsic defect with any mirror that takes on the shape of a sphere.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Reflection/ray Model of Light: Reflection/image Convex
In this physics tutorial, we will follow a pattern of inquiry for convex mirrors: investigating how convex mirrors reflect light and produce images.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Reflection/ray Model of Light: Ray Diagrams Convex
Students learn two rules of reflection as it has to do with convex mirrors. These two rules will greatly simplify the task of determining the image locations for objects placed in front of convex mirrors.