eli5: What is the difference between a mirror and a white object?

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I mean, what does a white object do? Absorbs nothing, reflects all light back.

What does a mirror do? Absorbs nothing, reflects all light back.

Having the same characteristics, how does a mirror reflect an image and a white object, a white texture?

In: Physics

18 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

If all the light bounces off an object at a similar angle it will “preserve the image” so to speak.

Otherwise if it is scattered in random directions there’s no “image” for your eye to see.

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