This common misconceptions covers Common Misconceptions within Lenses & Images for GCSE Physics. Revise Lenses & Images in Waves for GCSE Physics with 13 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 9 of 14 in this topic. Use this common misconceptions to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 9 of 14
Practice
13 questions
Recall
15 flashcards
⚠️ Common Misconceptions
Misconception 1: "Real images are always larger than the object"
Real images can be larger, smaller, or the same size as the object depending on where the object is placed relative to the focal point. An object placed between F and 2F gives a magnified real image. An object placed beyond 2F gives a diminished (smaller) real image. Only at exactly 2F is the image the same size.
Misconception 2: "All images formed by a concave lens are small"
Concave lenses always produce virtual, upright, and diminished images regardless of where the object is placed. The image is always smaller, not always tiny. The further from the lens the object is, the smaller the image becomes.
Misconception 3: "A virtual image means there is no light there"
A virtual image is not less "real" in terms of what you see. Your eye receives diverging rays and traces them back to where they appear to come from — this is the virtual image. When you look in a mirror, you see a virtual image. The image appears to be behind the mirror, but your eye treats it as real for the purpose of what you see.