Final answer:
When a candle is placed at the center of curvature of a concave mirror, the image formed is real and inverted, as the reflected light rays converge at the location of the object, creating its upside-down representation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the characteristics of the image formed by a candle placed at the center of curvature of a concave mirror. Let's analyze the outcomes based on the position of the candle with relation to the concave mirror's focal point.
- If an object is placed at the center of curvature of a concave mirror, the light rays from the object reflect back on themselves, thus forming a real and inverted image at the same location as the object.
- This phenomenon occurs because the incident rays coming onto the mirror parallel, reflect, and pass through the focal point, and then diverge as if they are coming from the center of curvature, which is also the original position of the object.
- For an object placed outside the focal length but at the center of curvature, we can confidently select option D. Real and inverted images are formed.