Question

State whether the following statement is True or False.
A real image can be obtained by putting an object at any distance from a convex mirror.
A. True
B. False

Answer 1

In case of mirrors usually there are three types used. Plain mirror, concave mirror and convex mirror. All will serve different purposes. Properties of different mirrors are different. In case of convex mirrors they always form virtual images. While concave mirrors form both virtual and real images and plain mirrors form virtual images. Inverted image in the sense it is real.

Complete step by step answer:
Various positions of placing an object in front of a concave mirror gives us various positions of images. If an object is placed between the pole and focus of the concave mirror then image will be formed on the other side of the mirror. That image formed will be enlarged and virtual

Now if we place an object between focus and center then the image is formed away from the center and the image will be real and inverted. The size of the image will be bigger than an object as shown in the diagram above.
C is center and F is focus while P is the pole.
If we place the object away from the center then the image formed will be between center and focus. That image will be real and inverted and diminished.
For the case of plain mirror the image formation will be like below

Image formed will be virtual and of the same size as the object.
Now coming to convex mirror, the image formation is given below

Whatever may be the position of the object, image will be virtually diminished only in case of convex mirrors just as shown above. Real image can never be attained.
Hence the given statement is false.

So, the correct answer is “Option B”.

Note: In case of plane mirrors the magnification is always one i.e size of image will be always equal to size of an object let it be longitudinal size or the lateral size. Real image can never be formed by the plane mirror that’s why the image formed by the plane mirror can’t be caught on the screen. For convex mirror magnification is always less than 1.