Question

what is virtual image

Answer 1

look at these
http://www.pa.msu.edu/courses/2000fall/phy232/lectures/lenses/images.html
or
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/geoopt/image2.html
u'll find it helpful

Answer 2

thx...but still i m confused do u hv any real world images to explain it better

Answer 3

real world applications can be image on t.v screens or computer's screen, your face in mirror.

Answer 4

as the name suggests.. virtual = NOT REAL..

so u need to first understand what is a real image..

if rays of light converge at a point (maybe due to refraction or relflection or something) .. then if you keep a screen over there.. u would see an image..
this image is called a real image.. cause .. well its REAL :D.. also. u would always see.. that this image is inverted with respect to the object..

take a spoon.. and look at it from concave side (the side which u use to eat with ).. and u ll see ur pretty face upside down.. guess what? that is a real image..

so real images are when
a) rays of light converge a point due to some phenomena like reflection or refraction
b) can be caught on a screen
c) always inverted


Now.. what are NOT real images.. well..
if rays of light are made to diverge using maybe a convex mirror or a concave lens or something.. when u look at it.. your stupid brain (actually all of our stupid brains :P) will say

"hey look diverging rays.. diverging rays can only come straight from some object" .. so your brain will trace those diverging rays back until they meet (to find where they came from .. so as to construct ur FAKE object.. which we call as the virtual image).. and this is what we call as VIRTUAL IMAGE.. a fake copy of the object created in ur minds because our brains can't handle reflection or refraction.. it can only understand that rays of light travel straight and nothing else..


so virtual images are

a) fake.. not real.. cannot be caught on a screen, rays of light don't coverge and ofcourse OFCORUSE only in our heads
b) always ALWAYS erect.. with respect to the object .. (cause we are making a replica of the object in our minds)

to see a virtual image.. look into ur dressing mirror, or look at the back (the bulged part, the part u would use to hit your friend) and u ll see a virtual image of urself..


have a good one ;-)

Answer 5

Real Images are formed when the rays reflected from an object meets.

But in virtual images, the light rays will be parallel and wont meet at a point.

For example, Mirror Image..

Answer 6

To form any image light beam from any point need to intersect if they intersect in real distance images are real if they do producing imaginary distance then they produce virtual image for example in plane mirror