How Do Mirrors Work?

Light is made up of energy particles, photons.  Photons can bounce off of something, or be aborbed by it.  When we see something it's because photons are bouncing off of it, and reaching our eyes.  

Usually this light is scattered about, and depending on the properties of the object, we see the light again in different colours (different wavelengths that the photons have).

A mirror is different because it is glass (a very smooth surface), and to the back of the glass is either a thin metal sheet, or the glass has been painted with a coat of reflective paint. So the metal reflects light back extremely efficiently (it doesn't get absorbed) and the smoothness of the glass and metal means that the light hitting the mirror is barely if at all scattered.  

One important thing about light hitting the mirror is that it bounces off the mirror at a compensatory angle to how the light hit the mirror.  So if you stand slightly to the side of the mirror you may not see your own reflection, but a friend standing in the position but on the other side of the mirror will see you fine, and visa versa.

Mirrors            dude their like crazy man


                                                                     PEACE