What's the difference between real and virtual images?

The main difference lies in how they are formed and whether they can be projected onto a screen. A real image is formed when light rays actually converge and intersect after reflection or refraction. These images can be obtained on a screen and are always inverted. For example, the image formed by a concave mirror when an object is placed beyond its focal point is real. A virtual image, on the other hand, is formed when light rays appear to diverge from a point after reflection or refraction, but do not actually intersect. These images cannot be projected onto a screen and are always erect. A plane mirror always forms a virtual image.