According to the New Cartesian Sign Convention used for mirrors, what does a negative sign for object distanc…

Question

According to the New Cartesian Sign Convention used for mirrors, what does a negative sign for object distance and a negative sign for image distance each indicate about the positions of the object and image relative to the mirror?

Accepted Answer

## Model Answer A negative object distance means the object is placed to the left of the mirror (in front of it); a negative image distance means the image is also formed to the left of the mirror (in front of it), i.e., it is a real image. ## Explanation Per the New Cartesian Sign Convention, distances measured to the left of the pole (origin) are negative. Since the object is always placed in front of (to the left of) the mirror, *u* is always negative. A negative *v* also means the image is on the same side (in front of the mirror), indicating a **real image**. Examiners expect both positions stated clearly in one line.

Science (086) — AI-generated practice question