3/22/2017 SphericalAberration

ReflectionandtheRayModelofLightLesson3ConcaveMirrors

SphericalAberration
TheAnatomyofaCurvedMirror
ReflectionofLightandImageFormation
TwoRulesofReflectionforConcaveMirrors
RayDiagramsConcaveMirrors
ImageCharacteristicsforConcaveMirrors
TheMirrorEquation
SphericalAberration

Aberrationadeparturefromtheexpectedorpropercourse.(Webster'sDictionary)

Sphericalmirrorshaveanaberration.Thereisanintrinsicdefectwithanymirrorthattakesontheshape
ofasphere.Thisdefectprohibitsthemirrorfromfocusingalltheincidentlightfromthesamelocation
onanobjecttoaprecisepoint.Thedefectismostnoticeableforlightraysstrikingtheouteredgesof
themirror.Raysthatstriketheouteredgesofthemirrorfailtofocusinthesamepreciselocationas
lightraysthatstriketheinnerportionsofthemirror.Whilelightraysoriginatingatthesamelocationon
anobjectreflectoffthemirrorandfocustoapoint,anylightraysstrikingtheedgesofthemirrorfailto
focusatthatsamepoint.Theresultisthattheimagesofobjectsasseeninsphericalmirrorsareoften
blurry.
Thediagrambelowshowssixincidentraystravelingparalleltotheprincipalaxisandreflectingoffa
concavemirror.Thesixcorrespondingreflectedraysarealsoshown.Inthediagramwecanobservea
departurefromtheexpectedorpropercoursethereisanaberration.Thetwoincidentraysthatstrike
theouteredges(topandbottom)oftheconcavemirrorfailtopassthroughthefocalpoint.Thisis
a departurefromtheexpectedorpropercourse.

Thisproblemisnotlimitedtolightthatisincidentuponthemirrorandtravelingparalleltotheprincipal
axis.Anyincidentraythatstrikestheouteredgesofthemirrorissubjecttothis departurefromthe
expectedorpropercourse .AcommonPhysicsdemonstrationutilizesalargedemonstrationmirroranda
candle.Theimageofthecandleisfirstprojecteduponascreenandfocusedascloselyaspossible.
Whiletheimageiscertainlydiscernible,itisslightlyblurry.Thenacoverisplacedovertheouteredges
ofthelargedemonstrationmirror.Theresultisthattheimagesuddenlybecomesmoreclearand
focused.Whentheproblematicportionofthemirroriscoveredsothatitcannolongerfocus(ormis
focus)light,theimageappearsmorefocused.

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refln/Lesson3/SphericalAberration 1/2
3/22/2017 SphericalAberration

Sphericalaberrationismostcommonlycorrectedbyuseofamirrorwithadifferentshape.Usually,a
parabolicmirrorissubstitutedforasphericalmirror.Theouteredgesofaparabolicmirrorhavea
significantlydifferentshapethanthatofasphericalmirror.Parabolicmirrorscreatesharp,clearimages
thatlacktheblurrinesswhichiscommontothoseimagesproducedbysphericalmirrors

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