A solar furnace uses a large concave mirror to concentrate sunlight onto an absorber located 0.50 m in front of the mirror.
(a) Determine the focal length and radius of curvature of the mirror.
(b) The angular diameter of the Sun is approximately 0.53°. Estimate the diameter of the Sun’s image formed at the absorber.
(c) Explain how the concentration of solar energy at the absorber would be affected if a mirror of the opposite curvature, but with the same radius, were used instead.