What type of mirror has a reflecting surface that curves inward?

A concave mirror has a reflecting surface that curves inward, resembling the interior of a bowl. This design allows it to converge light rays that strike the mirror, which is why it's often used in applications such as reflectors in flashlights, shaving mirrors, and telescopes. When parallel rays of light hit a concave mirror, they reflect inward towards a focal point, making the mirror useful for focusing light. This ability to converge light also enables them to produce magnified images, especially when the object being reflected is close to the mirror.

In contrast, convex mirrors curve outward and cause light rays to diverge, which results in smaller, upright images that appear further away than they actually are. Flat mirrors, on the other hand, do not have any curvature and reflect light at the same angle as it hits, producing images that are the same size as the object. Spherical mirrors encompass both concave and convex types; therefore, while all concave mirrors are spherical, not all spherical mirrors are concave.