How many times a day do you look in the mirror? We see mirrors every day at the washbasin or in the bathroom.
Here are some interesting trivia about mirrors.
Question1Why do people and objects appear in the mirror?
You all know that light is reflected by glass.
Mirrors take this “reflective performance” to the limit.
In this way, objects in front of the mirror are reflected exactly as they are, in color and shape.
What increases the reflective performance is the silver film attached to the back of the glass.
Another important thing for accurate reflection is that the front and back of the glass used for the mirror are both smooth and flat. Otherwise, the image will not be reflected clearly, or it will be distorted or blurred.
Question2Why does mirror reflect things upside down?
You may know that mirror reflect things upside down.
When I stand in front of a mirror, my right hand appears as my left hand in the reflection.
This is because the mirror reflects things using the principle of “reflection”.
The me on the other side of the mirror is a reflection of the me on this side of the mirror, but I am looking at a strange “virtual image” that seems to be on the other side of the mirror.
Please see the diagram.
The mirror also reflects faces in reverse. The face I see in the mirror is not the real me that other people see, but a face that is reversed left and right.
Question3How is mirror made?
Mirror is made by applying a silver film to the back of glass.
To explain how they are made simply, a liquid called ammoniacal silver nitrate is sprayed onto the back of the glass to attach the silver to the glass.
However, because silver can tarnish and turn black when exposed to oxygen in the air, a special coating that prevents air and water from passing through is applied over the silver to protect it from tarnishing.
AGC's mirrors: Sunmirror G are high-quality mirrors with accurate reflection and excellent durability.
There are mirrors in a variety of colors, and in addition to being used as full-length mirrors, they are also used for a variety of other purposes, such as wall coverings, fixtures, and pillar wraps.
Question4What was the role of mirrors in Japan?
In Japanese mythology, the mirror is a symbolic part of the three sacred treasures.So in the old days, the Japanese would cover mirrors with cloth when they weren't using them to protect them.
On the other hand, unlike Japan, it has been a tradition in the West to use many mirrors in rooms. According to a survey from some time ago, the per capita usage of mirrors in the West was said to be 30 times that of Japan.
This is likely due to the concept of using mirrors as an interior tool to “reflect space.” A famous place that embodies this idea is the “Hall of Mirrors” in the Palace of Versailles in France.
Western ways of using mirror as interior has spread to Japan and today, mirrors are used in Japan not only as a mirror, but also as an interior decoration material.
