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Science (086) — CBSE Class 10 board question

Q1. [3] § 9.2.1 Image Formation by Spherical Mirrors § 9.2.4 Mirror Formula and Magnification § 9.3.7 Lens Formula and Magnification
Answer the following:
  1. (a) A ray of light after reflection from a concave mirror becomes parallel to its principal axis. Draw a labelled ray diagram to show this.
  2. (b) (i) Differentiate between the virtual images formed by a convex mirror and concave mirror. (ii) "The value of magnification 'm' for a mirror is –2." Calculate the height of object if the height of image is 20 cm.
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 31/5/1 Q36
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:47 · grounding rag
Model Answer

(a) When a ray of light passes through the centre of curvature (C) of a concave mirror, it reflects back along the same path. But a ray directed towards the focus (F) reflects parallel to the principal axis.

Ray Diagram:

```
C F P
------------* ------→ (reflected ray, parallel to PA)
\ ↗
\/
(incident ray aimed at F)
```
(Label: C = Centre of curvature, F = Focus, P = Pole, PA = Principal Axis)

(b)(i)
| Feature | Convex Mirror | Concave Mirror |
|---|---|---|
| Size of virtual image | Always diminished | Always enlarged |
| Object position | Any position | Between pole and focus |

(b)(ii)
Given: m = –2, height of image (h′) = 20 cm

$$m = \frac{h'}{h} \Rightarrow -2 = \frac{20}{h} \Rightarrow h = \frac{20}{-2} = -10 \text{ cm}$$

Height of object = 10 cm (negative sign indicates object is real/upright as per convention).

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Explanation
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Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.