Understanding Image Formation Using Thin Lens Equation

Where is the image of your 5.0 cm tall nose located?

The image of your nose is located inside the spherical salad bowl. How can we determine the exact location and characteristics of the image?

Analysis of Image Location and Characteristics

When dealing with an object and its image formation in a spherical salad bowl acting as a concave mirror, we can utilize the thin lens equation to calculate the position and characteristics of the image.

Let's break down the steps to determine the location and height of the image of your 5.0 cm tall nose inside the bowl:

Understanding Thin Lens Equation

The thin lens equation provides a mathematical relationship between the focal length of the lens, the distance of the image from the lens, and the distance of the object from the lens.

The formula for the thin lens equation is given by: 1/f = 1/v - 1/u

Where:

• f is the focal length of the lens,
• v is the distance of the image from the lens, and
• u is the distance of the object from the lens.

In this scenario, the spherical salad bowl acts as a concave mirror, with a radius of curvature of 40 cm. Therefore, the focal length of the bowl is half of the radius, which is 20 cm.

Given that the object (your nose) is positioned 50 cm in front of the bowl, the object distance (u) is -50 cm (negative due to being on the same side as the observer).

By applying the thin lens equation and solving for the image distance (v), we find that the image of your nose is located approximately 14.29 cm from the surface of the salad bowl.

Additionally, the image height can be determined using the magnification equation, which yields a height of 1.43 cm for the image of your 5.0 cm tall nose inside the salad bowl.

Overall, understanding the thin lens equation allows us to precisely calculate the position and characteristics of images formed by concave mirrors like the spherical salad bowl.