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A mirror reflects with specular reflection. When parallel rays of light hit a flat mirror they remain parallel after being reflected: https://en.wikipedia.org/
by mrob 6y ago
A mirror reflects with specular reflection. When parallel rays of light hit a flat mirror they remain parallel after being reflected:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specular_reflection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specular_reflection
Paint reflects primarily with diffuse reflection. The rays of light are scattered in all directions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffuse_reflection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffuse_reflection
- appleflaxen 6y agoThat's an awesome learning point; thank you. What percent of the light does a mirror reflect in a specular way?
- analog31 6y agoLike the design of paint, the design of a mirror can affect its reflectivity. For an extreme example: https://www.semrock.com/maxmirrors.aspx https://www.semrock.com/maxmirrors.aspx Mirrors that are a cheaper coating on glass or metal can be in the 95% range without too much effort. If you don't care about actually forming an image with a mirror, it can be quite cheap, e.g., plain aluminum (with whatever oxide forms on its surface) or aluminized mylar film.
- snug 6y agoI was going to ask this same question, thinking it would be a dumb question, glad this got answered! Thank you