What is the difference between a white object and a mirror?

Question

The color white is percieved because an object reflects all the visible wavelengths. A mirror does this same thing. How do we percieve them as different? Or am I misinformed?

Answer 1

A white object spreads the light into many directions. A mirror doesn't, it instead keeps the light focused, which is why we can see our images.

Answer 2

You are having misconception about the ways object appear to be colored.

We shall come to the reflection of mirror after seeing first how white color is perceived.

Suppose there are four balls red, blue, green and a white ball.

You know that: The white ball looks white because it is not absorbing any color and hence it looks white; a green ball looks green because it reflects only green and similarly the other two balls.

Suppose all the balls are arranged in a square; by your conception of mixing of colors all the balls should look white, because when red blue and green are mixed it should look white. But you know it is not like that. We can see green as green and red as red and blue as blue and white as white. Why?

The reason is that THE COLORS ARE NOT COMING FROM THE SAME POINT. In the case of white color it is reflecting all the colors from each point of the object. If different points reflect different colors we will see white, green, red and blue points in the white ball. To make you clearer, suppose the white ball has red blue green stripes on it, we can see the stripes distinctly.

I hope now you are clear of your doubts. The mirror just reflects the objects and the color of the image will have the same color of the object. It is not mixing the colors.

If your assertion is correct then all objects should look white because we see all colors are reaching our eye.

Answer 3

The difference is the white object reflect the light scattering the light in different directions so we see light but no image the mirror reflect the light without scattering the light so we can see the image reflected.

Answer 4

both white gadgets and mirrors mirror distinctive the mild incident on them. in terms of the reflect, the mirrored image is specular, in that any ray incident at an attitude will mirror at that attitude and no different. in terms of a white merchandise, the mirrored image is diffuse, and the rays will mirror at many angles even although the occurrence attitude of all the rays is an similar.

Answer 5

a white object reflects only the white colour of the spectrum(absorbing the other colours),whereas the mirror reflects the colours and wavelength as such.

Answer 6

A white object will refract all the light rays

A mirror reflects all light rays

Its so simple my friend

Answer 7

The color white does not reflect it projects. A mirror recieves and then reflects it back to you, it does not project.