Indiana Science HS-PSII-8.4

ScienceGrades 9–12Physical Science

The Standard

Describe an image as real or virtual for both a curved mirror and lens system based on the position of the image relative to the optical device.

Indiana Academic Standards for Science (2023) · Geometric Optics

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use an image’s position to decide whether a curved mirror or lens makes a real or virtual image. They check which side of the device the object and image are on.
What Mastery Looks Like: For a curved mirror, they label an image in front as real and one behind as virtual. For a lens, they label an image opposite the object as real and one on the object’s side as virtual.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think virtual means invisible, even though they can see a virtual image in a mirror. They may use the lens rule for mirrors or judge an image by whether it is upright instead of where it forms.
How to Assess It: Show two sketches: an image in front of a concave mirror and an image on the object’s side of a lens. Ask students to label each real or virtual and give the position rule they used.

Lesson moves

Project a bright window through a magnifying glass onto paper, then hold the glass close to print and try to project that image.
Ask partners why an image behind a concave mirror is virtual but an image across from the object at a lens is real.
Give pairs four mirror and lens diagram cards to sort into real and virtual piles, then have them explain each choice.
Sketch a close-up makeup mirror and a phone camera, then mark the virtual face image and the real image on the sensor.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to HS-PSII-8.4, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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