A convex mirror is a spherical reflecting surface in which its bulging side faces the light source. There are numerous uses of convex mirror which is also referred as fish eye mirror by automobile enthusiasts and diverging mirror by physicists. The term ‘diverging mirror’ is based on its behavior of making rays diverge upon reflection. This means that when a parallel light ray hits a convex mirror, it reflects outwards and travel directly away from an imaginary focal point.
Some convex mirror uses are listed in the points below.
- Inside buildings
- Vehicle mirrors
- Magnifying glass
- Security purposes
The convex mirror always forms a virtual image of the object and the image formed by the convex mirror is smaller than the size of the actual object. Therefore, the most common convex mirror uses are in places where bigger objects are to be viewed in a smaller size. Since convex mirrors have a wider view field than concave mirrors and plane mirrors, they are mostly used in side mirrors of automobiles. Some of the most vital and common uses of convex mirror is described below.
Convex mirrors used inside buildings
Large offices, stores, and hospitals use convex mirror to let people see around the corner so that they can avoid running into each other and prevent any collision.
Used in sunglasses
One of the most common uses of convex mirror is for making sunglasses. The convex mirror reflects the sunlight away from the person’s eye wearing the sunglass.
Convex mirror used in vehicles
Convex mirrors are widely used as rear view mirrors in automobiles and vehicles because it can diverge light beams and make virtual images.
Uses of convex mirror in a magnifying glass
Convex mirrors are widely used for making magnifying glasses. In order to make a magnifying glass, two convex mirrors are placed back to back.
Convex mirrors used for security purposes
Convex mirrors are also used for security purposes in various places. They are places near ATM’s so that bank customers can check if someone is behind them.
These were some of the common convex mirror uses in the practical world. Convex mirrors are also used in various other places like as a street light reflectors as it can spread light over bigger areas. They are also used to make telescope and ceiling dome mirrors. Stay tuned with BYJU’S to learn more interesting Physics concepts with the help of interactive video lessons.
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