Question

Why do we see inverted images in a spoon?

Answer 1

Step 1: Concave mirror:

1. Generally, a spoon acts like a concave mirror.
2. When the object is placed at infinity the image is formed at the center of curvature which is highly diminished and inverted.
3. When the object is placed anywhere between infinity and the focus of the mirror the image formed is real and inverted, the size varies with the position of the object.
4. The figure shows image formation by a concave mirror.

Step 2: Explanation

1. A spoon is technically a small object which acts as a small concave mirror.
2. The center of curvature of the spoon is very small it will be in the order of a few cm.
3. We observe ourselves as an object in the mirror, the distance between us and the spoon will be much more than the center of curvature.
4. We observe ourselves in the range between infinity and the center of curvature.

Thus, the image we observe will be inverted.