can someone clarify mirrors and real/virtual images please

[bugmento]

(arggghhh i wrote a long detailed question out but when i hit "submit" it erased it and didn't post it)

basically i'm asking how can an image that is a reflection of an object in a mirror ever be a real image? i thought that by definition of an image in a mirror was always virtual

and what happens when you move an object past the focal point, closer to the lens/mirror? does the object remain whatever it was before (ie real or virtual) and just inverted?

thanks

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[kcola]

an image can be real, it must be on the same side as the object.
see here: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refln/u13l3e.cfm

for more info see here: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refln/

 

[Danlee07]

from a ray diagram, when the rays actually meet, you get a real image. if you gotta draw some straight dashed lines behind or in front of the mirror, then it's virtual.

physically, a virtual image is when it appears to go through the mirror. but, when the position of the image is actually where the real object is, then it's a real image.

all those scenarios for the first part needs to be drawn out. just draw out a few, and you'll understand. draw 2 for past the center (same as 2F in some textbooks), between F and center, between lens and F. Do that for convex/concave mirrors, and diverging/converging lenses. for plane mirrors, it's separate, but do that as well.