Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.

For K-12 Students · Curved Mirrors

Curved Mirrors for a laser beam

Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate a laser beam live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Mirror Ray TracingLive

concave & convex · mirror equation

Controls

Presets

Trace principal rays off a curved mirror to find the image. Concave mirrors focus and can flip the image; convex mirrors always give a small upright virtual image.

Focal length

Object distance

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Mirrorconcave

Focal length120px

Equation1/v + 1/u = 1/f

Governing equation

\frac{1}{f} = \frac{1}{d _{o}} + \frac{1}{d _{i}}, M = - \frac{d _{i}}{d _{o}} = - 1.20 (f = 120, d_{o} = 220)

Reading this result: Object between F and C: the image is real, inverted, and magnified (-1.20×), projected in front of the mirror.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for k-12 students?: Yes — this version of "Curved Mirrors for a laser beam" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.