The magnification produced by a concave mirror

Options

A. is always more than one
B. is always less than one
C. is always equal to one
D. may be less than equal to or greater than one

Explanation

To determine the magnification produced by a concave mirror, we need to analyze the different scenarios based on the position of the object relative to the mirror's focal point (F) and center of curvature (C).

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Magnification**:
- Magnification (m) is defined as the ratio of the height of the image (h_i) to the height of the object (h_o).
- Mathematically, it is expressed as:
\[ m = \frac{h_i}{h_o} \]

2. **Positioning the Object**:
- The position of the object in relation to the focal point (F) and the center of curvature (C) of the concave mirror will affect the magnification.
- There are three main positions to consider:
- Object beyond C
- Object at C
- Object between F and C
- Object at F

3. **Case 1: Object Beyond C**:
- When the object is placed beyond the center of curvature (C), the image formed is real, inverted, and smaller than the object.
- Hence, in this case, \( h_i < h_o \), leading to:
\[ m < 1 \]

4. **Case 2: Object at C**:
- When the object is placed at the center of curvature (C), the image formed is real, inverted, and of the same size as the object.
- Therefore, \( h_i = h_o \), leading to:
\[ m = 1 \]

5. **Case 3: Object Between C and F**:
- When the object is placed between the center of curvature (C) and the focal point (F), the image formed is real, inverted, and larger than the object.
- Thus, \( h_i > h_o \), leading to:
\[ m > 1 \]

6. **Case 4: Object at F**:
- When the object is placed at the focal point (F), the rays of light are parallel after reflection, and the image is formed at infinity.
- This results in an undefined magnification since the height of the image cannot be determined.

7. **Conclusion**:
- The magnification produced by a concave mirror can be less than 1, equal to 1, or greater than 1 depending on the position of the object.
- Therefore, the correct answer is that the magnification may be less than, equal to, or greater than 1.

### Final Answer:
The magnification produced by a concave mirror may be less than, equal to, or greater than 1.