Uses of concave mirrors are as follows:
(1) Concave mirrors are used as reflectors in torches, search-lights, headlights of motor vehicles. etc. to get powerful parallel beams of light
(2) Concave mirrors are often used as shaving mirrors/make-up mirrors to see a larger image of the face.
(3) Concave mirrors are used by the dentists to see large images of the teeth of patients.
(4) Large concave mirrors are used to concentrate sunlight to produce heat in solar cookers, solar furnaces, etc.
(5)A concave mirror is used as a doctor's head mirror to focus light on the body parts like cyes, cars, nose, throat, etc. to be examined.
(6) Large concave mirrors are also used in reflecting telescopes.
Image formation by a convex mirror
To locate the image formed by a convex mirror for different positions of an object.
Procedure:
Take a convex mirror. Hold it in one hand.
Hold a pencil in the upright position in the other hand.
Observe the image of the pencil in the mirror.
→Is the image crect or inverted? is it diminishe or enlarged?
Move the pencil away from the mirror slowly
→Does the image become smaller or larger?
Repeat this activity carefully.
→ State whether the image will move closer to or farther away from the focus as the object is moved away from the mirror.
Observation:
→When we hold a pencil in the upright postrion in front of a convex mirror, the image of the pencil is observed on the hack side of the mirror, ie, in the mirror itself.
The image is erect and virtual.
The image is diminished in size relative to the object.
→When the pencil is moved away from the mirror slowly, the image becomes smaller and smaller, moving away from the mirror.
→On repeating this activity, we find that as the object is moved away from the mirror, the image moves closer to the focus of the mirror.
Conclusion:→This activity confirms all the characteristics of the images formed by a convex mirror for different positions of the objeer and it is tabulated as follows:
| Position of the object | Position of the image | Size of the image | Nature of the image |
| At infinity | At the focus F. behind the mirror | Highly diminished, point-sized | Virtual and erect |
| Between Infinity and the pole of the mirror | Between Pand F. behind the mirror | Diminished | Virtual and erect |