watermark logo

15 Views· 18 August 2023

Why Do Mirrors Flip Left & Right (but not up & down)?

Advertisement


fidelminchin12
Subscribers

Go to https://nebula.tv/minutephysics to get access to Nebula (where you can watch MinuteBody) plus you'll get a 20% discount on an annual subscription.

Support MinutePhysics on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/minutephysics
Link to Patreon Supporters: http://www.minutephysics.com/supporters/

This video is about why words flip left & right (aka horizontally) in a mirror but not up & down (aka vertically). The answer has to do with specular reflection, mirrors being like windows into another world (alternate universes, just with in and out flipped!), and transparency of the things we write on.

REFERENCES
Specular Reflection
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specular_reflection

PhysicsGirl video about mirrors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBpxhfBlVLU

Fermat’s principle

http://electron6.phys.utk.edu/optics421/modules/m1/Fermat's%20principle.htm

Thomas-Fermi screening
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/....Thomas%E2%80%93Fermi

MinutePhysics is on twitter - @minutephysics
And facebook - http://facebook.com/minutephysics
And Google+ (does anyone use this any more?) - http://bit.ly/qzEwc6

Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!

Created by Henry Reich

Show more


Up next

Advertisement


0 Comments