Students can use ray tracing to work on problems with lenses and mirrors by following these simple steps:

1. Identify Key Rays: Start with three main rays:

   • Parallel Ray: This ray goes straight across and goes through the focal point when it bends.
   • Focal Ray: This ray begins at the focal point and goes straight out, bending to run parallel to the optical axis.
   • Center Ray: This ray goes right through the middle of the lens or mirror and doesn’t change direction.

2. Trace the Rays: Use some basic rules and formulas for lenses and mirrors:

   • For mirrors: $1/f = 1/d_o + 1/d_i$
   • For lenses: $m = -d_i/d_o$

3. Analyze Results: Find out and understand the image details, such as:

   • Location ($d_i$)
   • Size ($m$)
   • Orientation

Studies show that getting good at ray tracing can make you 40% better at solving optics problems.