2006-10-26 09:28:18 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Beauty & Style ➔ Other - Beauty & Style
A mirror is a thin piece of glass with a shiny backing (usually a form of silver) this reflects the image
2006-10-26 09:35:48 · answer #1 · answered by Spaced Out 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A mirror is a device whose surface has good specular reflection; that is, it is smooth enough to form an image. The most familiar type of mirror is the plane mirror, which has a flat surface. Curved mirrors are also used, to produce magnified or demagnified images.
Early mirrors were usually a sheet of polished metal, often silver or copper, for example the Aranmula kannadi.
Most modern mirrors consist of a thin layer of aluminium deposited on a sheet of glass. They are back silvered, where the reflecting surface is viewed through the glass sheet; this makes the mirror durable, but lowers the image quality of the mirror due to extraneous reflections from the front surface of the glass. This type of mirror reflects about 80% of the incident light. The "back side" of the mirror is often painted black to completely seal the metal from corrosion.
Mirrors for precision optical applications are more likely to have the reflective coating on the front surface of the mirror, to improve the image quality. Metal films on the front surface are generally covered with a thin, transparent coating (often silica) to protect them from corrosion. In some cases, this coating may be designed to enhance the reflectivity as well.
Mirrors designed for special applications, such as in lasers and other advanced optical devices, use a reflective optical coating composed of many layers of different dielectric materials. Such coatings can be designed to have extremely high reflectivity and are reasonably durable. Since they absorb very little of the incident light, they can be used with high power lasers without being damaged by the intense beam.
even if that isnt helpful
ENJOY THE GAME ON THE LINK BELOW!!!
cheers!!
:)
2006-10-26 16:40:51 · answer #2 · answered by The phoenix 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A mirror used to be a highly polished piece of metal or mica, covered by glass to keep it from loosing its shine. The concept is the same today but mirrors are created using laminates and more sophisticated creation processes. It works by reflecting light that is being reflected by light back at you. Let me explain. First all thing that you can see are see-able because light is reflected off of them, to your eye. If there is no light, or if an object cannot in anyway be reflected off of (Only known "thing" would be a black hole) then the object cannot be seen. A mirror takes all the "reflections" of the real world and reflects them one last time, back at you as you look into a mirror.
2006-10-26 16:40:40 · answer #3 · answered by libertyecg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mirror only works for certain range of frequency/wavelength. It doens't work at ultraviolet region. This has to do with the frequency (plasma frequency) in which free charge in conductor responds to oscillation (light). Below this frequency, the electron can respond fast enough that it generate its own e/m wave to damp out any propagation in metal. The wave in hence reflected (to conserve energy?). Light actually do penetrates metal a little bit, the so called "skin depth". Above this plasma frequency, the electron can not responds fast enough anymore. The wave is then partially propagated just like in dielectric. (This is the Drude model, which ignore a lot of feature, such as metal lattice, but it works extremely well against experiment).
It so happens that the plasma frequency for metal is in the ultra-violet region, so anything below that (visible) is reflected...For dielectric, the frequency is in the infrared region (correct me if I am wrong), which is (kind of) why glass is transparent.
Most modern mirrors consist of a thin layer of aluminium deposited on a sheet of glass. They are back silvered, where the reflecting surface is viewed through the glass sheet; this makes the mirror durable, but lowers the image quality of the mirror due to extraneous reflections from the front surface of the glass.
http://www.vega.org.uk/video/subseries/8
2006-10-26 16:40:23 · answer #4 · answered by s t 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A mirror is a device whose surface has good specular reflection; that is, it is smooth enough to form an image. The most familiar type of mirror is the plane mirror, which has a flat surface. Curved mirrors are also used, to produce magnified or demagnified images.
The most common use of mirrors is in the home for personal grooming, but mirrors are also used in scientific apparatus such as telescopes and lasers, and in industrial machinery. Most mirrors are designed for visible light, however, mirrors designed for other wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation are also used, especially in optical instruments.
2006-10-26 16:36:12 · answer #5 · answered by Inky Pinky Ponky 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
by applying the special reflective silver paint on the back of glass. That is what makes a mirror a mirror. :-)
2006-10-26 16:37:10 · answer #6 · answered by katy1pm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mirror is a mirror since it is a mirror
2006-10-26 16:36:44 · answer #7 · answered by gerrard_me 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's glass with a reflector behind it. in reality, you see the reflection because it doesn't absorb any light. and have you ever noticed your eyes follow you when you stare into a mirror. creepy.
2006-10-26 16:36:19 · answer #8 · answered by phantasmo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it doesn't work if you are a vampire! Snow White should have had her step mothers smashed and lived with 7 years bad luck rather than the 7 dwarves, but then again.....
2006-10-26 18:42:27 · answer #9 · answered by what? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By being such a well polished surface that it reflects light in an extraordinary way.
2006-10-26 16:36:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋