How is the focal length of a convex mirror measured?

The focal length of a convex mirror is measured by using the formula 1/f = 1/u + 1/v.

To measure the focal length of a convex mirror, a light source is placed at a distance from the mirror. The distance between the light source and the mirror is known as the object distance (u). A screen is placed at a distance from the mirror, which is known as the image distance (v). The distance between the mirror and the screen is adjusted until a clear image is formed on the screen.

Once the object distance and image distance have been measured, the focal length can be calculated using the formula 1/f = 1/u + 1/v. This formula is derived from the mirror equation, which relates the object distance, image distance, and focal length of a mirror.

It is important to note that the focal length of a convex mirror is always negative, as the mirror is diverging and does not focus light to a point. Therefore, the focal length should be recorded with a negative sign.

Overall, measuring the focal length of a convex mirror involves setting up an experiment to determine the object and image distances, and then using the mirror equation to calculate the focal length.