Pole: The centre of reflecting surface. It is represented by letter P.
Centre of Curvature: The centre of the sphere of which the mirror forms the part. Represented by “C”.
Radius of Curvature: The radius of the sphere of which the mirror forms the part. Represented by “R”.
Principal axis: The straight line joining the pole (P) and the centre of curvature. It is normal to the mirror at its pole.
Aperture: The diameter of the spherical mirror is called its aperture. The reflecting surface of the mirror.
Focus: The point of the principal axis at which the rays parallel to principal axis meet (concave mirror) or appear to meet (convex mirror) after reflection. Represented by F.
Focal Length: The distance between the pole and the principal focus of a spherical mirror is called focal length. Represented by f.
