Carnival mirrors make reflections look very odd. What makes the reflections in these mirrors so strange?
Parts are concave and convex, distorting the returning image.
Carnival mirrors make reflections look very odd. What makes the reflections in these mirrors so strange?
The reflections in carnival mirrors appear strange due to their unique shape and curvature. Carnival mirrors are often curved or distorted, causing the light to be reflected in a non-uniform manner. This results in distorted, stretched, or compressed reflections that can make people look taller, shorter, wider, or narrower than they actually are.
To understand why the reflections in carnival mirrors are strange, we need to look at how regular mirrors work. A regular mirror has a flat surface, which reflects light in a way that preserves the proportions and angles of the objects being reflected. When you look at yourself in a regular mirror, the reflection appears accurate and true to life.
On the other hand, carnival mirrors are deliberately designed with curved surfaces. For example, you may have seen mirrors that are concave (curving inward) or convex (curving outward). These curved surfaces cause the light to refract, or bend, in different ways depending on the shape of the mirror.
In concave mirrors, the mirror surface curves inward, causing the light rays to converge towards the center of the mirror. This makes the reflection appear distorted and compressed. In such mirrors, people often appear shorter and wider than they actually are.
In convex mirrors, the mirror surface curves outward, causing the light rays to diverge away from the center of the mirror. This makes the reflection appear distorted and stretched. In convex mirrors, people often appear taller and narrower than they actually are.
Overall, the unique shape and curvature of carnival mirrors distort the way that light is reflected, resulting in strange and amusing reflections that deviate from our normal perception of ourselves.