How Do Convex Mirrors Work?
Light Understanding convex mirrors begins with understanding how a regular mirror works, and for that you have to start with light. Light rays travel through the air at 186,000 miles per second. Light rays actually are a form of energy. When the electrons of an atom become excited, they cannot stay at the higher energy level forever. They give off their extra energy in particles known as photons (light), which we can see if they are within a certain span of wavelength. Regular Mirrors With a regular mirror, light rays go through the glass of the mirror and hit whatever is coating the panel behind the glass. Usually this is something like aluminum or silver. The energy from the light rays has to go somewhere, so the energy is transferred to the electrons of the atoms of the aluminum or silver. Just like the other electrons, however, they can’t stay at the higher energy level forever, so they give off the extra energy as photons, too. The photons come out of the mirror in rays that appea
