Page:Optics.djvu/64

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40

Let (Fig. 54,) be the line joining the centres, which we will consider as the axis of the mirror. a part of the object; its image.

Let

Then we know that and if to simplify the problem, we suppose and to be very small, we may put for this

Then

It is not easy to determine any thing about the form of the curve from this, but we may deduce one rather remarkable conclusion.

The diameter of curvature of , is equal to if be a tangent at Now this is equal to

Hence, calling the radius of curvature , we have

nearly