How do mirrors work?

We see our reflection in a mirror when we look at it. But how does this happen? What makes a mirror different from other objects?

The answer has to do with light. Light is a type of energy that travels through the air and is reflected off of surfaces. When light hits a mirror, it bounces off the surface of the mirror. This is called reflection.

The angle at which the light hits the mirror will determine how much of the light is reflected. If the angle is very shallow, most of the light will be reflected. If the angle is more direct, less light will be reflected. You can see this for yourself if you hold a pencil close to a mirror and move it around. The part of the pencil that is closest to the mirror will reflect more light than the part that is further away.

When we look in a mirror, we are seeing our own image because we are reflecting light off of ourselves and into our eyes. Our eyes then send signals to our brain telling us what we are seeing.

There are different types of mirrors, but they all work using reflection. Some mirrors are made from glass that has been coated with metal or another substance that reflects light well (such as silver). Other mirrors are made from materials like metal that naturally reflect light well (such as aluminium). Curved mirrors also reflect light differently than flat mirrors because they change the direction that incoming light rays travel before they bounce back out again. This can cause images in curved mirrors to appear distorted or enlarged/reduced in size compared to how they would look in a flat mirror