Why Do Mirrors Reflect Images Backwards?

Mirrors flip images left to right, but not up and down. Imagine you wave your right hand in front of a mirror, it looks like your reflection is waving its left hand. It’s like the mirror is taking a photo from the back instead of the front. Mirrors work by reflecting light, and that’s why they flip things horizontally but not vertically.

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Examples

  1. Waving your right hand makes your reflection look like it’s waving its left hand.
  2. Writing on a piece of paper and holding it up to a mirror flips the writing horizontally.
  3. Your reflection looks normal when you stand on your head, upside down, but not flipped.

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Categories: Physics · optics· reflection· mirrors