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/sci/ - Science & Math

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3380342 No.3380342 [Reply] [Original]

I am reincarnated as a seaturtle and have some puzzles for /sci/

Why do mirrors reverse the left and right side of your body, like you hands, but not top and bottom?

Also, general puzzle/logic thread

>> No.3380347

> Why do mirrors reverse the left and right side of your body, like you hands, but not top and bottom?

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU

>> No.3380354

The reversal you're talking about is illusory. There's only one consistent way for mirrors to work, given that light rays reflect at the same angle the impact the mirror.

>> No.3380360

because if you walked around in a circle and faced your original position, you wouldn't flip upside down.

>> No.3380367

>>3380354
If it is, then that doesn't explain how some things are flipped and not others

Imagine lying down, your hands, and left and right are still switched, but nothing else

>> No.3380368

Some mirrors do, it all depends on he type of the mirror.

Didn't you take Physics in high school?

>> No.3380369

Of course it does. Haven't you ever looked at your reflection in a spoon?

>> No.3380358

Because mirrors are a reflection.
Light travels to the mirror, which "bounces off" (reflects) back.

(picture forthcoming)

>> No.3380370

>>3380360
Nice.

>> No.3380375

left and right are relative in this context
top and bottom are not

>> No.3380376

Okay, next one

What keeps a train on the track? The outside wheels go farther in a turn than the inside wheels, thus a broken axle on a car. How do trains wheels do it?

Hint: It's not the flanges on the outside of the wheels

>> No.3380378

>>3380360
Well played...

>> No.3380380

>>3380376
Isn't the inside smaller or some shit

>> No.3380383
File: 4 KB, 295x268, howmirrorswork.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3380383

Think of it this way. The direction of the light in the plane parallel to the plane of the mirror is not changed, however, the direction of light in the plane perpendicular to the mirror is reversed.

>> No.3380394

>>3380367
An illusion, I tell you. That is the only consistent thing you could possibly expect a reflection to do.

Light going directly from a point on you perpendicular to the mirror comes straight back. Light from your left hand that goes straight to the the mirror and comes straight back. Same for your right.

Now think about rays of light going from each hand, off the mirror at an angle, and up to your eyes. That's what you see.

This whole "it's backwards" mindset is just wrong.

>> No.3380392

I love watching Feynman youtube videos xd

>> No.3380385

>>3380380
Fuck everyone here, I'm dead

>> No.3380397

Not a puzzle. Go take an introductory optics class.

>> No.3380398

>>3380376
train wheels are slightly conical.
i rule.

>> No.3380399

>>because if you walked around in a circle and faced your original position, you wouldn't flip upside down.

but what if the circle you walked in was vertical...
i.e. you walk up a loop and hang upside-down facing your original position

>> No.3380406

>>3380360
you don't flip horizontally either
fucktard

>> No.3380407

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msN87y-iEx0

>> No.3380409

>>3380407
CRITICAL HIT

>> No.3380412
File: 4 KB, 295x268, howmirrorswork2.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3380412

>>3380383

Breaking it into vectors...

The light in the plane perpendicular to the mirror (purple) is reversed.
The light in the plane parallel to the mirror (blue) continues in the same direction.

>> No.3380413

Your eyes are symmetrical across a vertical axis instead of a horizontal one, which causes left and right to "flip" but not up and down.

>> No.3380419

>>3380413
Well close one eye. It still flips horizontally instead of vertically. With just one eye shouldn't it flip, oh, I don't know, radially?

>> No.3380423

>>3380407
Feynman makes me smile.

>> No.3380424

>>3380407
FUCKING /THREAD

>> No.3380432

I am reincarnated as a chameleon. What color do I go if you put me in a mirrored box?

Related: Where is your god now?

>> No.3380438

>>3380419
But it hasn't. Your left hand is still on your left. The hand to the east is still to the east. You just pretend you're looking at another person in the mirror, which isn't true.
Feynman says it better than I can.
>>3380407

>> No.3380444

>>3380432
Contrary to popular belief, chameleons don't automatically change to blend in with their surroundings.

>> No.3380446

>>3380360
> tries to quote Feynman's answer
> actually quotes the mistake Feynman was highlighting
> i fucking LOLd

>> No.3380447

>you will never be as awesome as Feynman

>> No.3380449

>>3380375
I think it's this. Just a definition puzzle again.

What makes us say a mirror image is "flipped" anyway? To us our right hand is still on the right and our left on the left. It's only if you change the perspective that you see "flipping".

>> No.3380451

>>3380432
The system will equilibrate at a color the chameleon can maintain indefinitely.

>> No.3380463

>>3380432
It stays the same colour that it was.
That you thought this was a tricky question puts you firmly in the 'retard' category.

>> No.3380705

are you all retarded?

its because your eyes. what line do your eyes lie on? thats the same line that the mirror will reverse in.

>> No.3380722

>>3380705
Not a bad idea, but you didn't test it by closing one eye. Faggot.
>>3380407

>> No.3380732

even as a turtle you are more famous than us. Darn you, windows wallpaper Feynman.
They don't reverse, they reflect. The photons coming from the right reflect on the right hand side of the mirror and return on the right hand side.

>> No.3380742

>>3380376
With differentials. Bends on train tracks are mild enough for a train with fixed axels to corner in emergencies, anyway.

>> No.3380755

>>3380742
Good guess, and this is how modern cars work, but trains don't use differentials. They have sloped wheels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7h4OtFDnYE

>> No.3380765

>>3380755
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7h4OtFDnYE

That's an incredibly smart, simple way of doing it.. Thanks for the link

>> No.3380771

because poo poo pants nigger cunt tits

>> No.3380807
File: 32 KB, 800x600, thatswhy.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3380807

REAL EXPLANATION @OP HERE ATTENTION!!!

It's because you have two eyes, positioned left and right to eachother.
So when the light leaves the left eye, and reflects from the mirror, it comes into the right eye and vice verse.
Same happens with everything else that light leaves...like, your right arm, when it leaves your arm, it reflects from the mirror and enters your left eye... etc. etc.

Picture related, I painted one eye red, and the red arrows coming out of it are representing the light coming out of it...going onto the "blue" eye (also painted only for illustrative purpose)...

And to add one more, if our eyes would be stacked on top of eachother, you'd see the image in the mirror flipped upside down... cheers!

>> No.3380814

A mirror switches back and front, not left and right.

>> No.3380819

This is why I don't look in the mirror when I brush my teeth: I'm not ambidextrous :D

>> No.3380821

>>3380807
>red arrows coming out of it are representing the light coming out of it
>light coming from the eye

Cool egyptian bro.

>> No.3380827

>>3380807

>implying pirates see mirrors differently.

>> No.3380854

There really is a very simple explanation
The reflection is along the Z AXIS. NOT x or y.

If a mirror lies in the xy-plane and you invert the object along only its z-axis not x or y, then surprisingly it gives you exactly what you would expect the object to look like in a mirror.

>> No.3380867

>>3380854
Actually gets it.

>> No.3380885

but any explanation should work regardless of the choice of axes, right?

>> No.3380889

>>3380854
>>3380867

Said that already..>>3380412
>>3380383

>> No.3380897

>>3380885
yes but the plane of the mirror defines a special axis.

>> No.3380904

>>3380897
Sure, but >>3380854 said it simpler. Not sayin you didn't get it.

>> No.3381102

>>3380897
That doesn't make sense. A mirror plane and an axis of rotation are two different symmetry elements.