# Quick Optics (Physics) Question **URL:** \ **Category:** random\ **Created:** [April 24, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837 "2006-04-24T22:37:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MTsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@MTsoul](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MTsoul)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/1 "2006-04-24T22:37:25Z")
A couple of hours to go until a test and I’ve got a burning question that I can’t find an answer to on Google. \*\*If a virtual object is placed in front of a flat mirror, what’s the resulting image? Virtual or real? \*\*(assuming no refractions, only reflection) The textbook didn’t really explicitly say anything about this. I know that a real object placed in front of a mirror will result in a virtual image. Would it be the other way around the object was virtual in the first place? The reason I ask is cause of multiple lens/mirror problems. If there is first a diverging lens that produces a virtual image from a real object and then passes the light onto a mirror, what’s the result? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![kdd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kdd](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/kdd)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/2 "2006-04-24T23:54:04Z")
this is my like a psychology question than a physics question, i think. 😛 i’m sorry, i don’t know… good luck on the test. :beam: ---
**Author:** ![MTsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@MTsoul](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MTsoul)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/3 "2006-04-24T23:57:05Z")
Thanks 😃 ---
**Author:** ![3d\_Nirvana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/a88e4f/32.png) [@3d\_Nirvana](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/3d_Nirvana)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/4 "2006-04-24T23:57:39Z")
real? i think the mirror flips it if I remember … it’s been a long time since I’ve done anything with mirrors ---
**Author:** ![MTsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@MTsoul](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MTsoul)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/5 "2006-04-25T00:04:10Z")
I have no idea. Honestly I don’t think it’d even reflect. But I really have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/6 "2006-04-25T00:06:49Z")
> The reason I ask is cause of multiple lens/mirror problems. If there is first a diverging lens that produces a virtual image from a real object and then passes the light onto a mirror, what’s the result? according to my understanding it should be virtual logically - if you place an apple in front of a mirror it makes a “virtual” reflection in the mirror, now aim this mirror at a lense or another mirror, the image that is created is still a variant of the apple but not a true representation of it…thereby virtual. * * * “A diverging lens can only produce a virtual image, because the light passing through a diverging lens never converges to a point. The virtual image produced by a diverging lens is always right-side-up and smaller than the original object. The image and the object viewed are always on the same side of the lens. Diverging lenses are used as viewfinders in cameras.” [http://www.bookrags.com/sciences/physics/lenses-wop.html](http://www.bookrags.com/sciences/physics/lenses-wop.html) [http://online.cctt.org/physicslab/content/Phy1/lessonnotes/diverginglenses/diverginglenses.asp](http://online.cctt.org/physicslab/content/Phy1/lessonnotes/diverginglenses/diverginglenses.asp) ---
**Author:** ![MTsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@MTsoul](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MTsoul)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/7 "2006-04-25T00:13:28Z")
OOoo that makes sense prstudio. Yeah the multiple mirrors argument works. Sweet thanks! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/8 "2006-04-25T00:20:38Z")
np - hope you do well on the test ---
**Author:** ![thesparky007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thesparky007](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/thesparky007)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 12:40am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/9 "2006-04-25T00:40:16Z")
yes, like prstudio said it is virtual ---
**Author:** ![3d\_Nirvana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/a88e4f/32.png) [@3d\_Nirvana](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/3d_Nirvana)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/10 "2006-04-25T00:43:28Z")
yeah ok i agree… i havent done any of that stuff for like 2 years… ---
**Author:** ![anon1712571](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@anon1712571](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/anon1712571)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/11 "2006-04-25T02:51:08Z")
😃 Now that was fun to wrap my head around 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Wheeler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/59ef9b/32.png) [@Jeff\_Wheeler](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Jeff_Wheeler)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/12 "2006-04-25T03:26:50Z")
Good luck :thumb: ---
**Author:** ![MTsoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@MTsoul](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MTsoul)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/13 "2006-04-25T03:28:11Z")
Shanks! ---
**Author:** ![hsadan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@hsadan](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/hsadan)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/14 "2006-04-25T04:38:56Z")
Wouldn’t it depend if the virtual object is on the focal point, outside, or inside focal length? Also, how can an object be virtual? for a mirror: “real images form on the side of a mirror where the object is, and virtual images form on the opposite side.” for a thin lense: “real images form on the side of a lense that is opposite the object, and virtual images form on the side where the object is.” right out of my textbook. Now as for the question: I think when doing two lense problems you simply treat the first resultant image as the object for the other, regardless of whether or not it is virtual. give it a shot on a few practice problems. ---
**Author:** ![anvsubmission](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/97f17d/32.png) [@anvsubmission](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/anvsubmission)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/quick-optics-physics-question/186837/15 "2006-04-25T05:58:14Z")
I have no idea,either.good luck!🙂