Mirrors: Mirrors reflectivity - everything you need to know

A mirror is capable of reflecting objects because of its smooth surface. A piece of paper, for example, is not reflective due to its rough surface. When light hits the mirror’s surface, it bounces back at the same angle, reflecting all the colors in the visible spectrum.

The mirror’s material is crucial for its reflectivity. Glass has a better reflectiveness than other materials such as acrylic, polycarbonate, and stainless steel, but is not as strong as them.

Acrylic, polycarbonate and stainless steel offer a good and identical level of reflectivity. However, it is important to know that the reflectiveness of stainless steel increases over time.

Mirrors can be plane, convex and concave, and they all reflect objects in a different way.

Plane mirrors have a flat surface and their reflection is realistic. They are mostly used in daily life, for example in bathrooms and changng rooms, because the image is identical to the object in front of the mirror.

Convex mirrors are curved outward, so reflected objects seem smaller and further away than in reality. Convex mirrors are mostly used as security mirrors due to the wider view they provide. They can be found in supermarkets, offices, schools, warehouses, production factories, parking garages and on the roads.

Concave mirrors are curved inwards, which makes reflections appear bigger and nearer than they are in reality. Concave mirrors are mostly used by dentists and barbers because of the larger image.