Mirror Equation for Concave and Convex Mirrors

The mirror equation relates the object distance (do), the image distance (di), and the focal length (f) of a spherical mirror. For a concave mirror, the focal length is taken as negative, and for a convex mirror, it is positive. The object distance is the distance from the object to the mirror, and similarly, the image distance is the distance from the image to the mirror. The equation is derived from the principles of reflection and the geometry of spherical mirrors.

Practically, this formula is used in applications like focusing light in telescopes and reflecting headlights in vehicles, as well as in architectural designs to manipulate light.