Lenses and Mirrors: Image location using ray diagrams

[UniBoy4]

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NOVA Physics has a whole section on how to figure out the location of an image using ray diagrams. They have methods for converging lenses, converging mirrors, diverging lenses, and divering mirrors respectively.

From people's experience, has this really been tested on the MCAT? I'm going to go ahead and memorize (and understand to some extent) the methods used, but I'm still worried on test day I might freak out about this stuff.

 

[Jepstein30]

NOVA Physics has a whole section on how to figure out the location of an image using ray diagrams. They have methods for converging lenses, converging mirrors, diverging lenses, and divering mirrors respectively.

From people's experience, has this really been tested on the MCAT? I'm going to go ahead and memorize (and understand to some extent) the methods used, but I'm still worried on test day I might freak out about this stuff.

Screw ray diagrams, not worth the time.

Just know simple rules and the terminology and you'll be fine

Diverging system (lens or mirror) = SUV (smaller, upright, virtual)
Converging system
beyond R (2F) = SIR (smaller, inverted, real)
at R = SSIR (same size, inverted, real)
between R and F = LIR (larger, inverted real)
at F = no image
between F and lens = LUV (larger, upright, virtual)

So just know where to place the image (virtual vs. real) and these rules and you're set.

These rules also can get you the answer to magnification questions or questions that ask about specific distances.. No need to ever use a ray diagram.

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

NOVA Physics has a whole section on how to figure out the location of an image using ray diagrams. They have methods for converging lenses, converging mirrors, diverging lenses, and divering mirrors respectively.

From people's experience, has this really been tested on the MCAT? I'm going to go ahead and memorize (and understand to some extent) the methods used, but I'm still worried on test day I might freak out about this stuff.

I took the MCAT a year ago but I'm pretty sure I saw questions about lenses/mirrors, real/virtual images, stuff like that. So I would say it is important to know, but I wouldn't ray trace or draw diagrams. The two resources I used were 1) Lens diagram in EK physics book, 2) Diagrams on physicsclassroom.com (google it)

I would say get a good understanding of what's happening first, but then you can memorize which types have positive, real, inverted or negative, virtual, upright and you can predict where the image will be depending on the object. I did this mostly memorizing the chart in EK and the diagrams on that website.

 

[UniBoy4]

Yeah, I have EK Physics as well so I'll look at their section on lenses and mirrors since it's probably more useful than the NOVA Physics section on lenses and mirrors.