How Does a Mirror Work Exactly?

Mirrors work by making light bounce back at you. When you stand in front of a mirror, the light from your face hits the shiny surface and bounces right back, just like when a ball hits a wall and comes back to you. That’s why you see yourself looking back!

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Examples

You see your face in the mirror when you look at it.
When you wave goodbye with your right hand, your reflection waves goodbye with its left hand.
A cat looking into a mirror sees itself as another cat.

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Categories: Physics · Reflection,Light,Optics