Askiitians Tutor Team
Last Activity: 4 Months ago
Difference Between Real and Virtual Images
The basic difference between a real image and a virtual image lies in how they are formed and their properties, especially whether they can be projected onto a screen or not.
Here is a detailed explanation of each type of image:
1. Real Image:
• Formation: A real image is formed when light rays actually converge at a point after reflection or refraction. This means the light rays physically meet at a specific location and can be captured on a screen.
• Properties:
o Real images are inverted (upside-down) relative to the object.
o They can be projected onto a screen, as the light rays physically converge at the image location.
• Example: A real image is formed by a concave mirror when the object is placed outside the focal point, or by a convex lens when the object is placed at a distance greater than the focal length.
2. Virtual Image:
• Formation: A virtual image is formed when light rays appear to converge at a point, but they do not actually meet. Instead, the light rays only seem to diverge from a point behind the mirror or lens. These rays do not physically meet, making the image "virtual".
• Properties:
o Virtual images are usually upright (same orientation as the object).
o They cannot be projected onto a screen because the light rays don't actually converge at any point.
• Example: A virtual image is formed by a concave mirror when the object is placed inside the focal point, or by a convex lens when the object is placed inside the focal point.
Key Differences:
• Real Image: Can be obtained on a screen, is inverted, and formed by actual convergence of light rays.
• Virtual Image: Cannot be obtained on a screen, is upright, and formed by the apparent convergence of light rays
Answer to the Question:
A. Real images are the images that can be obtained on a screen, whereas a virtual image cannot be obtained on a screen.
This is the correct option because real images result from light rays converging at a point, so they can be projected onto a screen. In contrast, virtual images only appear to form where the rays seem to converge but do not physically meet, making them impossible to project onto a screen.