OpenOlympiad
Concept 6 of 9Foundation
Video

Reflection and mirrors

When light hits a smooth shiny surface, it bounces back — this is reflection.

A plane mirror gives an image that is:

  • Same size as the object
  • As far BEHIND the mirror as the object is in FRONT
  • Laterally inverted — left and right are swapped
  • Virtual (can't catch it on a screen)
Example
"AMBULANCE" is painted reversed on the front of an ambulance so the driver in front, looking in their rear-view mirror, reads it correctly.
💡 Tip:Lateral inversion is ONLY left↔right, not up↔down.
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🎯 Try it!

5 questions to check what you just read.

0 / 5
  1. Q1.Image in a plane mirror is:
  2. Q2.Image distance behind mirror equals:
  3. Q3.Lateral inversion means:
  4. Q4.Ambulance is written reversed on front so drivers see it correctly in:
  5. Q5.Plane mirror's image is: