spherical-mirrors MCQs for UPSC Prelims

28 practice questions on spherical-mirrors from the Light: Mirrors and Lenses section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 28 come with a written explanation. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

8 Easy 14 Medium 6 Hard

Sample questions

Q1
medium

A convex mirror can never form an image on a screen because the image it forms is

  1. A always coloured differently from the object
  2. B always inverted
  3. C always virtual
  4. D always exactly the same size as the object
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - always virtual

No light actually reaches the place behind the mirror where the image appears to be, so a screen there catches nothing. The image is erect, not inverted, and it is smaller than the object rather than the same size. Mirrors do not change the colour of the light they reflect.

Q2
easy

The outer bulging surface of a shiny steel spoon behaves as

  1. A a concave mirror
  2. B a convex mirror
  3. C no mirror at all
  4. D a plane mirror
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - a convex mirror

The back of a spoon bulges outwards towards you, which is exactly the shape of a convex mirror, so it gives a small erect image. The inner hollow of the spoon is the concave side. The surface is clearly curved, so it is neither flat nor useless as a mirror.

Q3
medium

An object is moved further and further away from a convex mirror. During this movement, the image

  1. A vanishes once the object is far enough
  2. B grows until it is larger than the object
  3. C turns upside down after some distance
  4. D stays erect and keeps getting smaller
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - stays erect and keeps getting smaller

A convex mirror always gives a virtual erect image, and the further the object goes the smaller that image looks, until it becomes a tiny speck. The image never inverts, since only a real image can be inverted. It shrinks rather than growing, and it never disappears completely.

Q4
medium

Consider these statements. Statement I: A convex mirror shows a wider view than a plane mirror of the same size. Statement II: A convex mirror forms an enlarged image of a distant object.

  1. A Only Statement I is correct
  2. B Only Statement II is correct
  3. C Both statements are wrong
  4. D Both statements are correct
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Only Statement I is correct

A convex mirror spreads the reflected rays, so it packs a wide scene into a small mirror and Statement I is correct. Its images are always smaller than the object, never enlarged, so Statement II is wrong. Making things look smaller is exactly the price paid for the wider view.

Q5
easy

To watch as much of the road behind as possible in a small mirror, a scooter rider should choose

  1. A a plane mirror
  2. B a plain sheet of glass
  3. C a convex mirror
  4. D a concave mirror
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - a convex mirror

A convex mirror covers the widest field of view for its size, which is exactly what a rider needs. A concave mirror covers a narrow field and can show distant traffic upside down. A plane mirror shows less road than a convex one, and plain glass reflects far too little to be useful.

Q6
medium

A lighted candle is kept far away from a concave mirror, and a white screen is moved about in front of the mirror until a sharp image of the flame appears on it. That image is

  1. A real, erect and larger than the flame
  2. B virtual, inverted and smaller than the flame
  3. C virtual, erect and larger than the flame
  4. D real, inverted and smaller than the flame
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - real, inverted and smaller than the flame

An image caught on a screen must be real, and a concave mirror forms a real image of a distant object upside down and reduced. A virtual image could never appear on a screen at all, so the second and fourth options are impossible here. A real image from a concave mirror is always inverted, never erect.

Q7
medium

A doctor wants an enlarged upright view of a small cut on a patient's arm. The best choice is

  1. A a convex mirror held close to the cut
  2. B a plane mirror held close to the cut
  3. C a convex mirror held far from the cut
  4. D a concave mirror held close to the cut
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - a concave mirror held close to the cut

A concave mirror gives a magnified erect image when the object is close to it, which is what a doctor needs here. A convex mirror always makes things look smaller, whether it is held near or far. A plane mirror keeps the size unchanged and gives no magnification at all.

Q8
medium

An image formed by a concave mirror that can be received on a screen is described as

  1. A real
  2. B impossible to form
  3. C laterally inverted only
  4. D virtual
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - real

Light actually gathers at the place where such an image forms, so a screen held there shows it, and that is what real means. A virtual image can never be caught on a screen. Lateral inversion describes a left-right swap and is not a name for this kind of image, and concave mirrors form real images quite easily.

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