What Happens When Mirrors Face Each Other?

[Anonymous9001]

If you place two mirrors directly on top of each other what exactly happens? My physics teacher says that it will create a perfectly black body?

 

[JaredJames]

Facing each other?

You get a lot of reflections (assuming a light source). If not, it's no different to anything else in the dark.

 

[AstrophysicsX]

In order to see light, it mst travel through our eyes correct?

 

[Drakkith]

Yes, light needs to enter your eye in order for you to see.

 

[AstrophysicsX]

What exactly do we see? Is the light we see just individual photons traveling from a source towards our eyes?

If so, say we set up an experiment where 1 photon is traveling through space past two observers. Also, say these observers were small enough to see the photon. Who would see it?

 

[Drakkith]

What exactly do we see? Is the light we see just individual photons traveling from a source towards our eyes?

If so, say we set up an experiment where 1 photon is traveling through space past two observers. Also, say these observers were small enough to see the photon. Who would see it?

For you to see anything a photon (in reality MANY photons) must enter your eye, strike a specific molecule in your retina and cause that molecule to change shape. This sets off a chain of events that eventually causes your brain to "see" something.

You couldn't SEE a photon. The process of seeing involves absorbing photons that are emitted or reflected off of other objects and absorbed in your eye. Since nothing can bounce off of a photon, there isn't anything to see. It quite literally doesn't look like anything.