Question

Define the following terms in the context of a diverging mirror:

1. Principal focus
2. Focal length

Draw a labelled ray diagram to illustrate your answer.

Answer 1

1. Principal focus: The principal focus of the diverging mirror is the point on the principal axis from which all incident rays appear to diverge from behind the mirror.
2. Focal length: The distance between the pole and the principal focus of a spherical mirror is called the focal length.