Virtual light rays are where the human eye follows a real light ray back, but the light ray has reflected at some point. The human brain can't detect that it has reflected so it thinks the light ray keeps going at the point it reflects. The virtual light ray is not really there, the brain only thinks it it there.

All Textbook Topics - Light - Properties of virtual light rays - Virtual light rays are where the human eye follows a real light ray back, but the light ray has reflected at some point. The human brain can't detect that it has reflected so it thinks the light ray keeps going at the point it reflects. The virtual light ray is not really there, the brain only thinks it it there.

Virtual light rays are where the human eye follows a real light ray back, but the light ray has reflected at some point. The human brain can't detect that it has reflected so it thinks the light ray keeps going at the point it reflects. The virtual light ray is not really there, the brain only thinks it it there.

When light reflects off a mirror, it changes direction. When the light then arrives at an eye, the eye does not know it changes direction, this is why when you look in a mirror, it looks like you are standing behind the mirror.

Virtual light rays are a way of representing where the eye thinks the light ray has come from behind the mirror.

In this photo you can see the real light ray coming from the ray box, and you can see the virtual ray appearing to come from behind the mirror:

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