Mirror Puzzle

[PatrickPowers]

This actually happened to me in a hotel in Bali.

It was night time and a light from the street was reflecting off of the mirror onto the wall. In front of the mirror was a statue of a goddess. Projected onto the wall were two separate shadows of the goddess, rotated with respect to one another about 90 degrees.

I went to the mirror, stuck my arm into the light, and was able to have my two shadow arms appear to shake hands.

How can this be?

 

[smsepid]

Hi,

Would you please provide me with a schematic design of all items in the room that you have seen,which shows the position of the things( light,mirror,statue,wall and yourself) to each other?

 

[HallsofIvy]

I can't imagine how this has anything to do with relativity! Exactly how fast were you going at the time?

 

[cbetanco]

I can't imagine how this has anything to do with relativity! Exactly how fast were you going at the time?

I am sure his speed was 0 c! NOW its a relativity problem

 

[PatrickPowers]

I can't imagine how this has anything to do with relativity! Exactly how fast were you going at the time?

Sorry. It has nothing to do with relativity. It should be in General Physics.

It's not a hard problem, but it is a very cool effect. I don't know why it isn't better known.

 

[Meir Achuz]

As Einstein said, "One image is direct, the other is from the light refledted off the mirror."