Mirror

Mirror

A mirror is a surface that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the direction of the image in an equal yet opposite angle from which the light shines upon it. This allows the viewer to see themselves or objects behind them, or even objects that are at an angle from them, but out of their field of view, such as around a corner. In a plane mirror, flat mirror, the reverse is a simple mirror image.

History

The first mirrors used by people were most likely pools of dark, still water, or water collected in a primitive vessel of some sort. The earliest manufactured mirrors were pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. Examples of obsidian mirrors found in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) have been dated to around 6000 BC.

Types of mirrors

There are many types of mirrors, each representing a different manufacturing process and reflection type. An aluminium mirror is made by evaporating aluminium onto a smooth surface in a vacuum. The reflection is clear, but not as brilliant as that from a silver mirror. The silver mirror is made by the wet chemical process, a process that coats a glass surface with silver, creating a highly reflective mirror.

Uses of mirrors

Mirrors are used in a variety of ways, practical and decorative. They are often used in interior decoration and in art, as they can make rooms appear larger and provide light. Mirrors are also used in scientific apparatus such as telescopes and lasers, cameras, and industrial machinery. Most mirrors are designed for visible light; however, mirrors designed for other types of waves or other wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation are also used, especially in non-optical instruments.

See also

• Reflection (physics)
• Mirror image
• Two-way mirror
• Rear-view mirror

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