Name the type of mirror used in the following situations :

(a) Headlights of a car

(b) Side/rear view mirror of a vehicle

(c) Solar furnace

Support your answer with reason.

(a) A concave mirror is used in the headlights of a car. This is because when, a lit bulb is placed at the focus of the concave reflector, then the concave reflector produces a powerful beam of parallel light rays. This beam of light helps us to see things up to a considerable distance in the darkness of night.

(b) A convex mirror is used as side-view mirror or rear-view mirror in a vehicle. This is because:

(i) A convex mirror always produces an erect image of the objects

(ii) the image formed in a convex mirror is highly diminished due to which a convex mirror gives a wide field of view of the traffic.

(c) A concave mirror is used in a solar furnace. This is because when the solar furnace is placed at the focus of a large concave reflector, then the concave reflector converges and focuses the sun's heat rays on the furnace due to which the solar furnace gets very hot.