Why does a flat mirror make your reflection look left-right reversed?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: The mirror only reverses front and back, the direction pointing into it
The glass bends light so the left and right sides swap places — A flat mirror doesn't bend light sideways; each ray bounces straight back at the angle it arrived. The reflection of your right hand is still on the right side, directly across from it.
The mirror flips the image from top to bottom as well as side to side — The image isn't flipped top to bottom: your head stays at the top and your feet at the bottom. If a mirror swapped both directions, your reflection would appear upside down.
The mirror only reverses front and back, the direction pointing into it ✓ — A mirror reverses only front and back: your nose points toward the glass while your reflection's nose points back at you. It seems left-right reversed because we compare it with a real person who has turned around to face us.
More Physics in Daily Life questions
- In a warm office that already reads 26 C, which change can make people feel cooler without lowering the thermostat?
- Why might 26 C feel acceptable in a breezy naturally ventilated summer building but too warm in a sealed winter office?
- On a warm, humid day, why can a 27 °C room feel worse once your skin is sweaty?
- Why can moving air make a 27 C room feel cooler without changing the thermometer?
- Why can a desk beside a cold window feel chilly even when the thermostat across the room still reads 22 C?
- In the same 22 C room, why might someone who just climbed stairs feel warm while someone sitting in a T-shirt feels chilly?