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What do you see when you stand in front of a concave mirror, beyond its focus, and look at yourself?

User Bouchard
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Final answer:

Beyond the focal point of a concave mirror, an individual sees a real, inverted, and reduced image. Within the focal point, a larger and upright virtual image is observed.

Step-by-step explanation:

When standing beyond the focal point of a concave mirror, upon looking at yourself, you would see a real image that is inverted and reduced in size compared to the actual object. Such an image is possible because light rays reflecting from the mirror converge at a point to form an image that can be projected onto a screen. However, this contrasts with standing within the focal point, where you'd observe a virtual image that is upright and magnified, much like when using a makeup mirror. The image seems to be located behind the mirror, maintaining the characteristic of appearing the same distance behind the mirror as you stand in front of it. This principle is based on the law of reflection and applies to the way the light rays bounce off the mirror's surface, a concept explored in geometric optics.

User Andrew Alderson
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