What are Real and Virtual Images? | Reflection of Light | Infinity Learn

The video script introduces the concepts of virtual and real images, starting with a basic explanation of a plane mirror and its flat reflecting surface. It contrasts this with a spherical concave mirror, which is curved inward and commonly used for shaving. The script poses a question about why a concave mirror is preferred for shaving, promising an answer in a future video. The main focus is on the plane mirror and how it forms a virtual image through the reflection of light rays. The script simplifies the concept by using an arrow to represent a boy and explains how the virtual image appears to be formed behind the mirror, even though no light actually reaches that point. This is the first characteristic of images formed by plane mirrors: they are virtual and not real.

The second paragraph delves into the formation of real images using spherical concave mirrors. It explains that unlike plane mirrors, which cause light rays to diverge, concave mirrors cause the rays to intersect or converge at a point, forming a real image. The script emphasizes that real images are inverted and are always formed on the same side of the mirror as the object. It also clarifies that the perception of light rays diverging from a point in front of the mirror is real, as the light rays physically reach that point. The paragraph concludes by noting that the nature of the image formed by a concave mirror—whether real or virtual—depends on the object's distance from the mirror, with further details to be explored in future videos.