As an expert in the field of optics, I can explain why we are able to see a virtual image. The phenomenon of seeing a virtual image is a result of the way our eyes and the brain process light and interpret the information it carries. Here's a detailed explanation:

When we talk about images in optics, we refer to the representation of an object as formed by light rays. There are two types of images: real and virtual. A real image is formed when light rays actually converge at a point after passing through a lens or mirror. This image can be projected onto a screen because the light rays physically meet at the image location. On the other hand, a virtual image is formed when light rays appear to diverge from a point, but they do not actually meet there. Instead, if you were to trace the light rays backward, they would seem to originate from that point. This is why it's called a virtual image; it's not formed by the actual convergence of light but by the apparent convergence as perceived by the observer.

The human eye functions much like a camera, with the cornea and the lens acting as a convex lens to focus light. When light from an object passes through the eye, it is refracted, or bent, by the lens and the cornea. This bending of light allows the light rays to converge on the retina, which is a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye.

The retina contains photoreceptor cells that convert light into electrical signals. These signals are then transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve. The brain processes these signals and creates the perception of an image. When diverging light rays enter the eye, the convex lens of the eye causes them to converge on the retina. The brain interprets this convergence as an image, even though the light rays did not actually meet before entering the eye.

This is the fundamental principle behind the formation of a virtual image. The key to understanding this is the concept of refraction and how our visual system interprets the light that reaches the retina. The brain is very good at creating a coherent image from the information it receives, even when the light rays have not physically converged to form a real image.

In summary, the ability to see a virtual image is due to the way our eyes refract light and the brain's interpretation of the light pattern on the retina. The virtual image is not a physical entity but a perceptual construct created by our visual system.

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Virtual image is formed when the diverging rays appear to meet if they are projected backwards. ... Our eyes have a convex lens which converges light rays. Diverging rays reaching our eye pass through the convex lens and converge on the retina, due to which an image is formed on the retina, and we can see it.Mar 29, 2017read more >>