What you see in a mirror
Look in a flat mirror. You see yourself looking back. This is your image.
Step 1 of 4
- You stand in front of a flat mirror.
- Your image forms the same distance behind the glass.
- It is the same size. In an upright mirror (standing straight) it is the same way up.
- But its left and right are swapped.
The new word
- Image — what you see in the mirror, made by light.
- Lateral inversion — left and right swap in a mirror image.
The rule
Your image stands as far behind as you stand in front. It is the same size. In an upright mirror it is the same way up. Left and right swap over.
That is why AMBULANCE is painted backwards on a van. A driver ahead sees the word in a mirror. The mirror swaps left and right again. So the word reads correctly.
Now try it. Slide to move toward the mirror. Watch your image. Then write the F backwards.
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