In vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, the side rearview mirrors are usually made of which type of mirror?

Introduction / Context:
Rearview mirrors in vehicles are designed to give drivers a wide field of view so they can see traffic behind and to the sides. The type of mirror used affects how large the field of view is and how images appear. Knowing which type of mirror is used for side mirrors is a common application of basic optics in everyday life.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question specifically refers to side mirrors of vehicles, often called rearview mirrors on the doors.
• These mirrors should cover a wide area behind and beside the vehicle.
• Image needs to be upright so that orientation is natural for the driver.
• The options include convex, concave, plane and an incorrect descriptive term inverted.

Concept / Approach:
Convex mirrors bulge outward and have the property of diverging light rays. They form virtual, diminished and upright images of objects located in front of them. This allows a convex mirror to show a wider field of view than a plane mirror of the same size, which is very useful for vehicle mirrors. Although objects appear smaller and therefore seem farther away, more area around the vehicle is visible. Concave mirrors, in contrast, can form magnified or inverted images depending on object distance, which is confusing for driving. Plane mirrors provide a life size view but a limited field of view. Therefore, side mirrors are made convex.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the main requirement for side mirrors: a wide field of view to see adjacent and rear traffic.Step 2: Recall that convex mirrors produce virtual, diminished, upright images and show a wider area.Step 3: Compare with plane mirrors, which produce life size virtual images but show less area.Step 4: Compare with concave mirrors, which can invert images and produce large distortions depending on distance, undesirable in traffic situations.Step 5: Note that inverted is not a type of mirror but a property of some images produced by concave mirrors.Step 6: Conclude that the correct type used in side mirrors is the convex mirror.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you look carefully at side mirrors on many vehicles, there is often a warning printed such as objects in mirror are closer than they appear. This warning is characteristic of convex mirrors because they shrink images, making them appear more distant. The wide viewing angle is easily observed by comparing the area visible in a convex mirror versus a plane mirror of the same size. Vehicle safety regulations and design manuals also specify convex side mirrors to reduce blind spots.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Concave mirrors can form inverted real images when objects are beyond the focal length, which would be confusing for drivers because the scene behind might appear upside down or distorted. Plane mirrors show a smaller field of view, so more vehicles would remain in blind spots. Inverted is not a mirror type at all, so it cannot be correct. Only convex mirrors combine a wide field of view with upright images, which is ideal for side mirrors.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to think that plane mirrors are used everywhere because rearview mirrors inside the car sometimes appear flat. In fact, many interior mirrors may be slightly curved, and side mirrors are clearly convex. Another pitfall is mixing up concave and convex mirrors; remembering that convex mirrors bulge outward and are used when a wide field of view is needed helps avoid confusion.

Final Answer:
The side mirrors of vehicles are usually made of convex mirrors.