How Do Mirrors Work?
How Do Mirrors Work? Most mirrors are made of a sheet of polished glass with a thin coat of silver paint on the back. The silver backing reflects the light that falls on it. The glass protects the soft paint from scratches and tarnish.
When you stand in front of a mirror, you see yourself because the light is reflected from you to the mirror and back from the mirror into your eyes.
The key factor is the smooth surface, because rough surfaces scatter light instead of reflecting it. Ordinary mirrors are flat, and you see a true image of yourself.
The mirrors in most bathrooms are these types of mirrors, known as plane mirrors. They are flat and reflect the objects in front of them accurately, maintaining the same relative size and position of the objects reflected.
Fun-house mirrors are curved and wavy. The light rays are sent back in different directions, and you may look tall, or short, or crooked and bent.