Question

Rays parallel to the principal axis after striking the reflecting side of a convex mirror

• A. intersect in front of the reflecting surface
• B. intersect behind the reflecting surface
• C. appear to intersect in front of the reflecting surface
• D. appear to intersect behind the reflecting surface.

Answer 1

The correct option is D appear to intersect behind the reflecting surface.

Remember, as a rule of thumb, that if parallel rays after falling on any kind of reflecting surface get diverged, they can never actually intersect! And this is what happens in a convex mirror, it is a diverging mirror. So, parallel rays will never meet after getting reflected, but, when extended backwards they will appear to meet behind the mirror, you shall see in later modules that this how they from virtual image.