MCAT Physical : Types of Image
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for MCAT Physical
All MCAT Physical Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Optics
A man stands ten meters away from a converging mirror with a focal length of two meters. What is true of the image he sees?
His image is virtual, upright, and minimized
His image is real, upright, and magnified
His image is virtual, upright, and magnified
His image is real, inverted, and minimized
His image is real, inverted, and magnified
His image is real, inverted, and minimized
The first thing to consider when answering this question is the fact that real images are always inverted and virtual images are always upright. Once you have determined one or the other, two answer choices can be eliminated.
The first equation that is necessary for this question is 
From this we can determine that 
The second equation to consider is for magnification: 
If the absolute value of 
We would expect the image to be minimized.
Example Question #121 : Ap Physics 2
For a nearsighted person, the image of a distant object is formed __________.
in front of the retina, and corrected using a converging lens
in front of the retina, and corrected using a diverging lens
behind the retina, and corrected using a diverging lens
behind the retina, and corrected using a converging lens
in front of the retina, and corrected using a diverging lens
In nearsightedness, the person cannot see far objects due to increased refraction. This causes the image to be formed in front of the retina. This condition is corrected using a diverging lens to compensate for the "over refraction" by the deformed cornea.
Example Question #1 : Types Of Image
An object is placed 50cm in front of a converging lens whose focal length is 20cm. Which of the following best describes the image that is formed?
Smaller than the object and real
Larger than the object and real
The same size as the object and virtual
Larger than the object and virtual
Smaller than the object and virtual
Smaller than the object and real
Relevant equations:
Step 1: Plug in the given focal length and object distance to find the image distance:
Step 2: Find the magnification and orientation of the image:
A negative magnification means the image is inverted, and therefore real. A magnification smaller than 1 means the image is smaller than the object.
The following result is true, in general, for converging lenses: if the object is outside 
Certified Tutor
Certified Tutor
All MCAT Physical Resources
