After examining the geometry of ray diagrams in detail, and considering the relationship between object distance, image distance, object height and image height, two equations were develeped providing an alternate method to explaining the behavior of mirrors and lenses. These equations and the explanation of the variables are shown below. Important Note: Even though the equation below is called the mirror equation, it applies for both mirrors and thin lenses.
do is the distance from the object to the mirror/lens.
di is the distance from the image to the mirror/lens.
f is the distance from the mirror/lens to the focal point (F).
M is the magnification of the image.
