Reflexilility ofLigU. 171 



by a single ray, but by pencils of divergent rays 

 proceeding from every point of the object. Sup- 

 pose, therefore, G (fig. 60) a radiant point of any 

 object, from which a pencil of divergent rays 

 proceeds, and falls on the convex mirror a b. 

 These rays (agreeably to the rule laid down 

 above, that convex mirrors cause divergent rays 

 to diverge still more) will be rendered more 

 divergent, and will have their virtual or imaginary 

 focus at g, that is, much nearer to the surface of 

 the mirror than if it were plane. 



For these reasons, a person looking at his face 

 in a convex mirror, will see it diminished. Thus, 

 in fig. 61, though rays proceed from every part 

 of the face, it is only the rays that touch the 

 mirror within the space between c and r that can, 

 agreeably to the great law of reflection, (the 

 angle of incidence being equal to the angle of 

 reflection) be reflected to the eye. The rays c 

 and r being therefore rendered less convergent 

 (as in the former instance in fig. 59), he will 

 see the chin along the line o r s, and the forehead 

 along the line o c n, and the angle of vision being 

 thus diminished, all the rest of the features will 

 be proportionably reduced. Large objects, how- 

 ever, placed near a convex mirror, will not only 

 appear reduced, but distorted; because, from 

 the form of the glass, one part of the object is 

 nearer to it than another, and consequently will 

 be reflected under a different angle. 



Convex mirrors are at present a very fashion- 



