How it works... the mirror and the science so you can reflect in them

Although mirrors are used daily, they often receive little attention, precisely because these objects are so commonplace.

There's probably one in your home. It approaches, looks at you, smiles. It's aware that you're on the other side of the reflection, but do you know how a sheet of glass can reflect your image so clearly?

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According to Jesuit Father Nelson Velandia, associate professor at Javeriana University, this occurs thanks to a phenomenon involving light.

"A mirror is a highly polished surface, which generally has an aluminum coating, and this causes it to reflect most of the light waves that strike it," the expert explained. When it hits the surface, the light is reflected back by the surface, giving the illusion of an image in front of you.

Now, this is also explained by a phenomenon known as the law of reflection, which states that when light hits a reflective area , its angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. However, the type of reflection that occurs depends on the quality of the surface.

"If the surface isn't polished, the reflection won't be clear and, therefore, the image will be somewhat distorted. In the case of spoons and some curved mirrors, they cause the light to gather in a single point or scatter sideways," Velandia noted.

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And what about other objects?

As already mentioned, a characteristic associated with reflection is the sharpness and intensity of light.

In the case of windows and spoons, which are also reflective objects, the incident light is scattered, and the reflected rays are not as sharp or of good quality. This makes the reflection blurry and not as good as that produced by a flat mirror.

"In windows and spoons, the light hitting the surface causes these rays to disperse more and not reflect evenly, resulting in a distorted and sometimes slightly confusing image," the expert added.

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How is a mirror made?

According to Velandia, this depends on the quality of the mirror, as well as the manufacturing process.

In general, to make these objects, very thin glass surfaces are sought and coated with a very thin layer of a reflective metal, such as aluminum or silver.

"First, the glass surface is checked for imperfections. Then, the metal layer is checked to ensure it adheres well to the glass, and this is done under vacuum conditions. Finally, a protective layer is applied to protect it from possible damage," he emphasized.

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