Lateral inversion up-left and down-right confusion

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of lateral inversion in plane mirrors, exploring how mirrors reverse left to right and up to down. Participants examine the implications of lateral inversion in different orientations and contexts, as well as related questions about the properties of mirrors.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes lateral inversion as a process where a clone turns to face them, suggesting that this action switches left to right without changing the head and foot positions.
  • Another participant notes that when lying down and looking in a mirror, lateral inversion still occurs, but it may also involve up-down inversion, raising questions about how a single plane mirror can achieve both.
  • A participant references a previous thread that may provide additional insights into the topic of lateral inversion.
  • One participant mentions that the brain interprets the switching of front to back as a rotation due to a vertical line of symmetry in humans.
  • Several participants inquire about the definition of the aperture of a mirror, questioning whether it refers to area or length, with one suggesting it is the diameter.
  • A follow-up question is raised regarding whether the aperture refers to the length of the arc or the straight line joining the endpoints of the mirror.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various interpretations of lateral inversion and its implications, with no consensus reached on the definitions or mechanics involved. The discussion on the aperture of a mirror also shows differing views on its measurement.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully resolved the definitions of lateral inversion, particularly in different orientations, nor have they clarified the concept of mirror aperture, leaving several assumptions and interpretations open to further exploration.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying optics, physics concepts related to mirrors, or anyone curious about the nature of reflection and symmetry in visual perception.

rishch
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Hi :)

So I'm learning about lateral inversion in plane mirrors and it's a bit confusing. I think of it like this:-

Suppose you had a clone of your self who is standing next to you and facing the same direction. He walks a few steps forward and then turns to face you. When he turns to face you he does this by turning 180 which effectively switches left to right and right to left but the head and foot do not exchange positions. However if you think of a mirror it's turning to face you WITHOUT switching left to right so it appears inverted. It would be like putting paint on your body and then hugging the mirror.

But suppose you turn 90 degrees (maybe you can lie down on a table) and look in a mirror you're still laterally inverted but it's up-down inversion relative to the first case. And while you were lying down on the table, if a friend were to come and stand next to you he would also be laterally inverted. It's like the mirror is doing both at the same time. How?

And there's a question in my textbook "can you think how a single plane mirror can reverse up-down, up-left and down-right?" I'm not sure what up-left and down-right means.
 
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Yes the last video is exactly what I was thinking. We're actually switching front to back but the brain interprets this as rotation. I guess that's because in real life you can't switch front to back. I also think that it's because we have a vertical line of symmetry.
 
Oh and I just wanted to ask what aperture is of a mirror is? Is it area or length or what?
 
rishch said:
Oh and I just wanted to ask what aperture is of a mirror is? Is it area or length or what?

the diameter

Dave
 
So would it be the length of the arc or the length of the line joining the two end points of the mirror?
 

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