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A plane mirror is a mirror with a flat reflective surface. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] For light rays striking a plane mirror, the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence. [ 3 ] The angle of the incidence is the angle between the incident ray and the surface normal (an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface).
Thus reflection is a reversal of the coordinate axis perpendicular to the mirror's surface. Although a plane mirror reverses an object only in the direction normal to the mirror surface, this turns the entire three-dimensional image seen in the mirror inside-out, so there is a perception of a left-right reversal. Hence, the reversal is somewhat ...
The image in a plane mirror is not magnified (that is, the image is the same size as the object) and appears to be as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of the mirror. A diverging lens (one that is thicker at the edges than the middle) or a concave mirror forms a virtual image. Such an image is reduced in size when compared to the ...
A classic example of specular reflection is a mirror, which is specifically designed for specular reflection. In addition to visible light , specular reflection can be observed in the ionospheric reflection of radiowaves and the reflection of radio- or microwave radar signals by flying objects.
A heliostat (from helios, the Greek word for sun, and stat, as in stationary) is a device that includes a mirror, usually a plane mirror, which turns so as to keep reflecting sunlight toward a predetermined target, compensating for the Sun's apparent motions in the sky.
The only ideal system that has been achieved in practice is a plane mirror, [2] however the cardinal points are widely used to approximate the behavior of real optical systems. Cardinal points provide a way to analytically simplify an optical system with many components, allowing the imaging characteristics of the system to be approximately ...
In other words, a real image is an image which is located in the plane of convergence for the light rays that originate from a given object. Examples of real images include the image produced on a detector in the rear of a camera, and the image produced on an eyeball retina (the camera and eye focus light through an internal convex lens).
A mirror reflecting the image of a vase A first-surface mirror coated with aluminium and enhanced with dielectric coatings. The angle of the incident light (represented by both the light in the mirror and the shadow behind it) exactly matches the angle of reflection (the reflected light shining on the table). 4.5-metre (15 ft)-tall acoustic mirror near Kilnsea Grange, East Yorkshire, UK, from ...