Why do we see our image in a plane mirror?

Open in App

Solution

Explanation: A plane mirror is a smooth and flat surface that makes the regular reflection of light.
The following diagram shows the image formation on a plane mirror, where a light source is from an object and the apparent source is the image on the plane mirror.

From the diagram,
When the light source falls on an object it bounces back in all directions as well as from the mirror. As the human brain thinks that light travels in a straight line, the image appears to be coming from behind the mirror.
Our eye sees it as an upright image.

Suggest Corrections

Similar questions

Q. Why do we say that a plane mirror forms a virtual image of an object?

Q. (a) Explain why, though both a plane mirror and a sheet of paper reflect light but we can see the image of our face in a plane mirror but not in a sheet of paper.
(b) The image in a plane mirror is virtual and laterally inverted. What does this statement mean?
(c) Write all the capital letters of the alphabet which look the same in a plane mirror.

Q. Why do we see our image on the concave mirror when it it actually a real image and formed in front of the mirror

Q. When we look at the plane mirror we can see our _________ in the mirror.

Explain why both a plain mirror and a sheet of paper reflect light but we can see an image of our face in the plane mirror but not on a sheet of paper?

Join BYJU'S Learning Program