🔎 Explore Mirrors and Lenses

Object distance

A mirror reflects light back at a matching angle — that's how you see your own reflection.

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Mirrors and Lenses

Intermediate

Mirrors and lenses are both tools that control light — but they work in different ways. Mirrors reflect light, while lenses bend (refract) light to focus it.

⚡ Fun Fact:There are two main types of lenses: a convex lens curves outward and focuses light to a point (like a magnifying glass), while a concave lens curves inward and spreads light out.

📝 Example:We use mirrors and lenses every day! Eyeglasses use lenses to help people see clearly. Cameras use lenses to focus light onto a sensor. Magnifying glasses use a convex lens to make small things look bigger. Telescopes and microscopes use combinations of lenses (and sometimes mirrors) to see things that are very far away or very tiny.

💡 Tip:Next time you look in a mirror or use a magnifying glass, remember: a mirror bounces light back at you, while a lens bends light to change how big or small things appear!