real and virtual images in real life

[ihatebluescrubs]

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So, I think understand the general concept between real and virtual images. However, I'm not sure how this applies in real life.

For a converging (concave) mirror, if the object (my face) is further away from the mirrors' focal point, we get a image that is a positive real and inverted image. Does this mean that in the mirror,I'll see a inverted image of my face?

What if for the same scenario but my face is closer to the mirror than the focal point, I get a image that is virtual and upright on the other side of the mirror. Do I see a image that is upright through the mirror?



Ok, so now what about lenses? If the object produces a real inverted image, can we see the image? What if it produces a virtual upright image, can I see that?

 

[BryanNextStep]

From our purely subjective perception, there's not really much difference between real and virtual images. We see both, and our monkey brains perceive them as if they were real things.

To illustrate the difference, imagine the difference between your bathroom mirror and a movie screen. In both bases, you see an image and it looks totally real to you. Your brain isn't hard-wired to be able to tell the difference.

When you stand there looking at your bathroom mirror, it looks like mirror-image ihatebluescrubs is standing there looking back at you. As far as it subjectively appears, there's another person standing two feet "inside" the mirror, reflecting you standing two feet "outside" the mirror.

The reason this image is virtual is that if you actually took a hammer and smashed your way forward two feet into the wall - to where the image "seems" to be, you wouldn't actually find any photons there making the image. You'd find some pipes and drywall, and maybe the bedroom on the other side of the wall.

By contrast, an image on a movie screen is a real image. If you could shrink down Magic Schoolbus style and look at the movie screen, you'd see actual photons bouncing off the screen. When you see a real image, there really are light rays at that point in space. When you see a virtual image, it's entirely an illusion created by your brain - there are no light rays at the point in space where it "looks like" the image is.

Not sure if that made it more confusing or if it answered your question!

 

[asf503]

For a converging (concave) mirror, if the object (my face) is further away from the mirrors' focal point, we get a image that is a positive real and inverted image. Does this mean that in the mirror,I'll see a inverted image of my face?

Correct. If you have a concave mirror and are looking at it, your image will be upsidedown. For example, the light from your eyebrows may hit the mirror and bounce back straight at you, but your eyes won't catch that light. Your eyes are only able to catch the light that reflected off the mirror and pointed straight into your eyes- for a concave mirror, that light is from the bottom of the mirror. Thus, to YOU, it looks like your eyebrows are at the bottom of the mirror- and your whole face is upside down.



BryanNextStep's description of virtual vs. real images is a good one, you should read that to understand the difference between the two.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

So, I think understand the general concept between real and virtual images. However, I'm not sure how this applies in real life.

For a converging (concave) mirror, if the object (my face) is further away from the mirrors' focal point, we get a image that is a positive real and inverted image. Does this mean that in the mirror,I'll see a inverted image of my face?

What if for the same scenario but my face is closer to the mirror than the focal point, I get a image that is virtual and upright on the other side of the mirror. Do I see a image that is upright through the mirror?



Ok, so now what about lenses? If the object produces a real inverted image, can we see the image? What if it produces a virtual upright image, can I see that?

A good way to analyze this is to hold a shiny spoon and look into it as if it were a concave mirror and then look into the back of it as if it were a convex mirror.