JEE Main 2023 · 25 January · evening · Single correct · +4 / −1

The light rays from an object have been reflected towards an observer from a standard flat mirror, the image observed by the observer are :-
A. Real
B. Erect
C. Smaller in size then object
D. Laterally inverted
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :

  1. (a) B and D only
  2. (b) A, C, and D only
  3. (c) A and D only
  4. (d) B and C only
Answer and solution

Answer (a) B and D only

Solution

Physics sir · 3 steps

A plane mirror only flips left and right; the image stays upright, virtual and exactly as big.

  1. Virtual, not real. The reflected rays spread apart and never actually meet. Your eye traces them back to a point behind the mirror, so the image is virtual and cannot be caught on a screen. That rules out A.
  2. Same size. For a plane mirror the image is as far behind the mirror as the object is in front, so the magnification is m = 1. The image is the same size as the object, which rules out C.
    StatementTrue for a plane mirror?
    A. RealNo, it is virtual
    B. ErectYes, head stays up
    C. Smaller than the objectNo, same size (m = 1)
    D. Laterally invertedYes, left and right swap
  3. So. Only B and D hold: the image is erect and laterally inverted. The answer is (a).

The idea to keep. Plane mirror image: virtual, erect, same size, same distance behind the mirror, and laterally inverted. Remember these five together and such questions take seconds.

Answer from the NTA final answer key. Solution by PrepWiser.

Study Ray Optics

Asked about 200 times in JEE Main since 2020. This question is from 2023.