How it works
This ray diagrams worksheet with answers has twelve mirror and lens cases. Eight are finished: say what image each one forms. Four are left for you to draw. Print it, or answer on screen.
Read the full guide
Reading a finished diagram
Follow the two rays from the tip of the object. Where they cross after the mirror or lens, the image is real. Where they only seem to come from, shown by dashed lines, it is virtual. An image arrow that points down is inverted. Then compare its height with the object.
Drawing ray diagrams
The last four diagrams are a drawing ray diagrams worksheet: no rays, no image. On paper, draw one ray level with the axis, which leaves through the focal point, and one to where the axis meets the mirror or lens. Mark the image where they meet. For the convex mirror the level ray leaves as if from F behind it: extend both rays back, dashed.
- A convex mirror and a diverging lens give a virtual, upright, smaller image wherever the object stands.
- A real image can be caught on a screen. A virtual image cannot.
Questions and answers
How do you draw a ray diagram?
For a converging lens, draw two rays from the object's tip: one parallel to the axis, which leaves through the focal point, and one straight through the center of the lens. The image's tip is where they meet, or where they seem to come from.
What is the difference between a real and a virtual image?
Light rays pass through a real image, so it can be shown on a screen. Rays only seem to come from a virtual image, so it cannot.
What image does a concave mirror form?
It depends on where the object stands. Beyond C the image is real, inverted and smaller. Between C and F it is real, inverted and larger. Inside F it is virtual, upright and larger.
Is this a ray tracing diagram worksheet?
Yes. Ray tracing is another name for finding an image with a ray diagram. Eight diagrams here are traced already, and four are left for you to trace on a printed copy.