State the Rules for Drawing Ray Diagrams for Spherical Mirrors

The rules for drawing ray diagrams in spherical mirrors (concave and convex) are based on predictable paths that light rays follow when they reflect. These rules help us locate the image formed by mirrors.

Four Rules for Ray Diagrams

1. Rule 1: A ray parallel to the principal axis, after reflection, passes through the principal focus (concave) or appears to come from focus (convex).
2. Rule 2: A ray passing through the principal focus (concave) or directed toward focus (convex) becomes parallel to the principal axis after reflection.
3. Rule 3: A ray passing through the center of curvature reflects back along the same path.
4. Rule 4: A ray incident at the pole reflects symmetrically, following the law of reflection.

Importance of Ray Diagrams

• Help in finding the position, size, and nature of the image.
• Used in designing optical devices like telescopes and headlights.