Fun house mirrors can reflect some pretty strange images. Look into one mirror and your body might appear 10 feet tall. Walk in front of another mirror and you might look as if you didn’t have a mid-section. These kinds of distortions are produced by curves.
Things Required:
Shiny metal tablespoon
Directions:
Hold up a shiny metal tablespoon. Note that the bowl-like part of the spoon has two sides. The side of the bowl that bulges outward is called the convex side. When we use the spoon to eat, the convex side faces downward. The side of the bowl that goes inward (forming a depression) is called the concave side.
Hold the spoon vertically. Look into the convex side of the spoon. How does your image appear? Is your image right-side up or is it flipped upside down? Is your image stretched? If so, do you look taller or wider?
Now hold the spoon horizontally. Look into the convex side again. How does the distortion change as you turn the spoon?
Hold the spoon vertically. Flip it around so that you may be looking at the concave side. How does your image look now? Is it right-side up? Are your features distorted?
Hold the spoon horizontally. How does it affect the image now? Slowly, bring the spoon closer to your face. Does the image flip or does it remain the same?
This Is What Happens:
The distortion is caused by the curved surface of the mirror. As side-by-side light rays strike the curves, they are sent back at slightly different angles. It’s this spreading or concentrating of rays that causes the reflections to take on odd appearances.
