light reflects off a mirror. light reflects off the white surface of a ceiling or wall. why can you see images in amirror but not a celing or wall?
The mirror is glass, anything reflects off glass and shows an image, you cant get an image on wood or anything, which a wall is made out of.
There's a big difference between a "mirror" and a "wall".
You can see images in a mirror because mirrors have a smooth and highly reflective surface. When light strikes the mirror, it bounces off at the same angle at which it hit. This phenomenon is known as specular reflection. The reflected light rays maintain their original arrangement, allowing you to perceive a clear image of objects.
On the other hand, when light falls on a ceiling or wall, it undergoes diffuse reflection. This means that the surface is not smooth and even, causing the light to scatter in various directions instead of bouncing off at consistent angles. As a result, the light rays become disorganized, and the image of an object is not formed. Instead, you observe a uniform, scattered reflection that does not produce a distinct image. This is why you cannot see clear images in a ceiling or wall.
So, the difference between a mirror and a ceiling or wall lies in the type of reflection they exhibit. The smooth surface of a mirror allows for specular reflection, resulting in a clear image, while the uneven surface of a ceiling or wall causes diffuse reflection, which does not form a focused image.