So i like studying physics, and i was wondering… If i am correct, mirror looks like mirror because it reflects light… And paper seems “white” because it reflects light..
Yet we can’t see our reflection… Why?
In: 3
A mirror reflects light coherently, so that the pattern of incoming light matches the pattern of outgoing light. Paper scatters light in every direction, so you do not get a coherent reflection.
In a mirror reflection, any point you look on the mirror you are basically seeing light from a specific point in the room that is hitting the mirror at just the right angle to enter your eye. With paper, every point on the paper is reflecting light to your eye from everywhere in the room that that point on the paper has “line of sight” to, which generally averages to white.
A mirror reflects light coherently, so that the pattern of incoming light matches the pattern of outgoing light. Paper scatters light in every direction, so you do not get a coherent reflection.
In a mirror reflection, any point you look on the mirror you are basically seeing light from a specific point in the room that is hitting the mirror at just the right angle to enter your eye. With paper, every point on the paper is reflecting light to your eye from everywhere in the room that that point on the paper has “line of sight” to, which generally averages to white.
A mirror reflects light coherently, so that the pattern of incoming light matches the pattern of outgoing light. Paper scatters light in every direction, so you do not get a coherent reflection.
In a mirror reflection, any point you look on the mirror you are basically seeing light from a specific point in the room that is hitting the mirror at just the right angle to enter your eye. With paper, every point on the paper is reflecting light to your eye from everywhere in the room that that point on the paper has “line of sight” to, which generally averages to white.
Paper is a diffuse surface, while a mirror is specular. Diffuse means simply that light hitting the surface reflects in a random direction. So when looking at paper you are seeing the light from everything in the area bouncing off the paper
A specular surface like a mirror, the light that hits the mirror reflects off at the same angle relative to the surface. So when you look at the surface you are seeing the light from a single source.
In truth, everything is somewhere in between. Like a foggy mirror, there is still a clear reflection, but you see a lot of other things as well. Also, a diffuse surface doesn’t really reflect light in every direction, at least not equally. More light shines normal to the surface than along the surface. But that’s the concept.
Paper is a diffuse surface, while a mirror is specular. Diffuse means simply that light hitting the surface reflects in a random direction. So when looking at paper you are seeing the light from everything in the area bouncing off the paper
A specular surface like a mirror, the light that hits the mirror reflects off at the same angle relative to the surface. So when you look at the surface you are seeing the light from a single source.
In truth, everything is somewhere in between. Like a foggy mirror, there is still a clear reflection, but you see a lot of other things as well. Also, a diffuse surface doesn’t really reflect light in every direction, at least not equally. More light shines normal to the surface than along the surface. But that’s the concept.
Paper is a diffuse surface, while a mirror is specular. Diffuse means simply that light hitting the surface reflects in a random direction. So when looking at paper you are seeing the light from everything in the area bouncing off the paper
A specular surface like a mirror, the light that hits the mirror reflects off at the same angle relative to the surface. So when you look at the surface you are seeing the light from a single source.
In truth, everything is somewhere in between. Like a foggy mirror, there is still a clear reflection, but you see a lot of other things as well. Also, a diffuse surface doesn’t really reflect light in every direction, at least not equally. More light shines normal to the surface than along the surface. But that’s the concept.
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