When the distance is positive, real image is produced. When the distance is negative, virtual image is produced.
<u>Explanation:</u>
Image distance is the distance between the object to the lens of the mirror. When the image distance is positive, it means that the real image is produced in the mirror. When the image distance is negative, it means that the virtual or diminished image is produced in the mirror.
When the image distance is positive, the image is on the same side of the mirror as the object, and it is real and inverted. When the image distance is negative, the image is behind the mirror, so the image is virtual and upright. A negative m means that the image is inverted. Positive means an upright image.
