If A Piece Of Paper Is Held At The Position Of The Virtual Image Of A Strong Light Source, Will The Paper Burn After Sufficient Time? What Happens If The Image Is Real? What Happens If The Image Is Real But The Source Is Virtual?

Question

If a piece of paper is held at the position of the virtual image of a strong light source, will the paper burn after sufficient time? What happens if the image is real? What happens if the image is real but the source is virtual?

Solution

Rays of light do not actually converge at the virtual image point. So, the piece of paper will not burn. In the case of a real image, the rays actually converge on the paper which will be heated and after sufficient time, the piece of paper will catch fire. In the last case, though the source is virtual, yet the rays of light converge at the real point image and the paper will burn.