Physics confounds me again!

[gsmittle]

Yesterday, I put a bumper sticker for my Presidential Candidate Of Choice on the bottom of the rear window or my Suburban. As I'm driving along, I check the rear view mirror and I'm surprised that I can read Candidate Of Choice's name through the rear glass. "How the heck can that happen???" I'm thinking. "The name should be reversed, since I'm looking at the back of the sticker...."

Then it hits me: the image was reversed, then reversed again in the mirror, which is why I could read it properly. Ain't physics fun???

g.

[JoeyGee]

Those politicians always get you coming and going...

[scmhogg]

Einstein worked out his theories on the speed of light by posing this hypothetical: If he held a mirror in front of his face he could see his reflection. If he could find a way to travel at the speed of light, would his face disappear, in the mirror, as he approached the speed of light?

See why I switched to law?

Steve

[leehljp]

Then it hits me: the image was reversed, then reversed again in the mirror, which is why I could read it properly. Ain't physics fun???

g.

Yes it is. But most people that use physics in such manners don't really think about it, they just do it! Dentists are use to reverse working through the mirrors, and for most people to make double reverse (negating) is just a matter of adjustment. It is actually more difficult to comprehend than do (for an adult). And often the more "thinking" a person is in "what ifs", more difficult its seems.

Over here, single and double "negatives" are used daily:
"I am not going today." (not going to happen)
I am not not going today. (it is going to happen)

While that is language, the theory is the same. People used to it have no problem.

[Rand]

Since images in a mirror are reversed left and right why aren't they upside down too?

[crokett]

If he held a mirror in front of his face he could see his reflection. If he could find a way to travel at the speed of light, would his face disappear, in the mirror, as he approached the speed of light?
Steve

Interesting hypothetical. At first I would say no because the light is bouncing off of him to get to the mirror so the speed the light is traveling to get to the mirror is his speed + its own speed (sorta like throwing a ball ahead of you from a moving car). Very briefly the ball is traveling at the speed of the car + the speed you throw it at. Then I remembered the speed of light is a constant. So now I don't know what would happen.

[BobSch]

Since images in a mirror are reversed left and right why aren't they upside down too?

Because they're not reversed. If you touch your right ear, so would your image in the mirror. It's looking at others that's backwards. (Ask someone to touch their right ear and what do you see?)

[gsmittle]

Interesting hypothetical. At first I would say no because the light is bouncing off of him to get to the mirror so the speed the light is traveling to get to the mirror is his speed + its own speed (sorta like throwing a ball ahead of you from a moving car). Very briefly the ball is traveling at the speed of the car + the speed you throw it at. Then I remembered the speed of light is a constant. So now I don't know what would happen.

I'm thinking he'd slam into the mirror because he'd be thinking too much about whether he could see his reflection or not...

g.

[gsmittle]

Those politicians always get you coming and going...

Ain't it the truth!

g.

[LinuxRandal]

Lets not make physics political folks! There are enough laws governing it already.