What color is a mirror when it is not reflecting off of anything?
2006-07-11 08:33:59 · 28 answers · asked by Gagan B 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Color is simply a measure of what wavelengths of light reflect most easily off of a surface. For a mirror, all colors reflect equally well. If you want to assign a color, call it white, which also reflects all wavelengths equally well.
2006-07-11 09:41:31 · answer #1 · answered by Keith P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, if there were such thing as nothingness in this universe, I'd say it's colorless.
But frankly, darkness does count as something. When there's no light whatsoever in a room, mirrors are black.
They're like eyes. If they look at darkness, they don't make weird sounds and blow up; they see black. If they look at transparent, they see what's behind it and the diffraction, etc.
If we looked at vacuum, we would see absolute darkness, right? Well, the mirror would be black.
There's also a scientific explanation less difficult to grasp: Things are a certain color because light hits them, and only certain colors of the light (pure light is made of all colors) are reflected. So if something is blue, it's because it's reflecting all colors of light except blue. And if something is white it's because it's reflecting all colors. And if something is black it's because it's absorbing all colors. And if something is transparent, it's because it's mainly just letting the colors go through without doing anything to them.
Therefor, for something to "be" a certain color, light has to be hitting them and be reflected off them.
Mirrors work by reflecting not only all colors, but absolutely all light rays that hit it. Like everything else, mirrors are simply not any color until light hits it.
Contact me if you need further explanations, I'll be happy to give them to you (I'm one of those people who enjoy feeling they know something someone else doesn't know =P )
2006-07-12 11:17:58 · answer #2 · answered by its just me!! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Isn't color just that portion of light that is not absorbed by an object? If your mirror is not reflecting anything, then no light must be shined on it.... so I guess the answer is colorless. What is the color of anything in total darkness? Does it matter?
Now if your talking about scraping the film off of the back of the glass and seeing what color that is, then I think grey/silver.
2006-07-11 15:41:25 · answer #3 · answered by Brand X 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A mirror will reflect all visible colors. The "colors" of the mirror depend on the wavelenghts of the photons that reach your eyes since you are the observer of its color. A mirror does not emit visible photons of its own (except perhaps invisible infrared photons due to its heat) but merely reflects colors (photons) that strike it. Therefore, if it is not reflecting "off of anything" it is in the dark and you see nothing, right?
2006-07-11 18:24:56 · answer #4 · answered by Kes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Black. Everything with color is just a reflection of light. If it's not reflecting anything, that means it's in the dark so there is no color.
2006-07-11 15:36:43 · answer #5 · answered by Defender 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great question, possibly it should be in philosophy rather than this section but fun anyway.
However, I will answer it philosophically...
How do we define colour? it is just our interpretation of what we see defined by the breakdown of light before us.
So how do we define a mirror's reflection: well it isn't clever, it reflects everything: including black - it is really impossible for it not to reflect. Even if pointed at a black hole or which is a complete absense of light, it reflects a complete absense of light.
So to answer the question, it will always show the colour it reflects even when, in theory at least, there is no colour to reflect
2006-07-18 08:08:27 · answer #6 · answered by Ichi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Silver.. duh.
You said mirror not glass, had it been glass then clear would be the answer. But you said mirror and mirror is glass(clear) with a silver foil back, therefore making it silver when it reflects nothing. except light, unless it's dark then it's.... whateva.
Hey, did you know that mirror, as well as glass is melted beach sand?
2006-07-11 15:39:39 · answer #7 · answered by ju-ju bean 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A mirror is simply glass with foil
therefore BEHIND the foil it is clear when there is no reflection it is Black
2006-07-11 15:35:14 · answer #8 · answered by Xae 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You apparently aren't aware of all of the reflected images that come out and play while you're not looking at the mirror. It is the playground of another dimension!
2006-07-11 15:37:22 · answer #9 · answered by racingcowboy58 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only way a mirror is not reflective is if its unpolished. An unpolished mirror is grey in color.
2006-07-11 15:35:20 · answer #10 · answered by bombhaus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋