Positioning a mirror

[longone]

Hope this is isn't to too stupid a question but I'm struggling to convince myself of the answer.
If you wish to position a mirror on a wall such that the image you see of yourself is what someone one of similar height would see when looking at you, is it simply a matter of it being a plain mirror positioned perpendicular to the floor? Or is there more to it?
I ask because I've noticed an apparent difference in different mirrors and wonder should it actually be perpendicular?
Cheers.

[Mojocvh]

...dunno. was sent to a funny hotel once that had mirrors all over the place in the rooms if that’s any good to you, some moor or something like that...well jimmy savillie it was like eebygum..

[Monty Python]

Doesn't work - you're looking at a reflection of yourself so it's flipped left to right from your perspective. When someone looks at you they see you as if they were standing behind the mirror looking through it.

[Silver Smudger]

longone said:

If you wish to position a mirror on a wall such that the image you see of yourself is what someone one of similar height would see when looking at you, is it simply a matter of it being a plain mirror positioned perpendicular to the floor?

Yes - You will then be seeing yourself from the same eye-level as someone else of the same height

[longone]

Thanks. I realise the left/right flipped issue, I should have said it's more the perspective and proportions that seem to change in certain mirrors. Maybe some are deliberately not flat? I don't know, perhaps my imagination.

[Simpo Two]

Just make sure your line of sight is horizontal.

And as said you'll be flipped L-R, so the same height but not exactly as people see you.

[The Nur]

Are you trying to watch porn in the bathroom without moving the tv?

[longone]

The Nur said:

Are you trying to watch porn in the bathroom without moving the tv?

funny. No it's not interesting, just something I've noticed and wondered about. Thanks for the opinions.

[budfox]

Mirrors in some clothing shops have certainly been slightly curved to make people look taller and slimmer than they actually are.

[The Nur]

longone said:

funny. No it's not interesting, just something I've noticed and wondered about. Thanks for the opinions.

Twas an Alan Partridge reference, no disrespect to yourself

Nobody got it, or if they did get it, they didn't post about it.

[longone]

The Nur said:

Twas an Alan Partridge reference, no disrespect to yourself

Nobody got it, or if they did get it, they didn't post about it.

no offence taken at all. I thought it was funny and though I remember the Partidge scene I didn't get it either.

[TooLateForAName]

No,

you need two mirrors at 90degrees to each other. You need to face them at 45degrees.



you * > mirrors

[longone]

TooLateForAName said:

No,

you need two mirrors at 90degrees to each other. You need to face them at 45degrees.



you * > mirrors

ok, can you explain why that would give a different perspective than facing one vertical mirror?

[Silver Smudger]

longone said:

TooLateForAName said:

No,

you need two mirrors at 90degrees to each other. You need to face them at 45degrees.



you * > mirrors

ok, can you explain why that would give a different perspective than facing one vertical mirror?

You will see yourself as if from outside, like a photo of you - Not a horizontally flipped 'mirror image' as normal.

Interesting video about mirrors

[ATG]

Mirrors don't flip left and right. (If that were true, ask yourself why they don't flip up and down instead? What would be special about leftness and rightness that would make them flip? ) Clearly there isn't anything special about left/right versus up/down, so the mirror can't be flipping left/right.

But it sure looks that way. So what the hell is going on?

It's actually turning the image inside out.

Hope that helps

[HOGEPH]

I once stayed in a hotel that had a mirrored ceiling.

Wasn't any use to me, I don't shave in bed.....

[TooLateForAName]

I seem to remember quite a good book on mirrors by Richard GRegory

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirrors-Mind-Penguin-Press...

In terms of flipping, think about how light travels between your eye / the mirror / and your body and you'll see why things flip left / right but not top to bottom.

[Zad]

Mirrors don't flip the image at all. What would happen if you were looking at yourself is that you would rotate through 180 degrees to look back at yourself.

[Xerstead]

Silver Smudger said:

longone said:

If you wish to position a mirror on a wall such that the image you see of yourself is what someone one of similar height would see when looking at you, is it simply a matter of it being a plain mirror positioned perpendicular to the floor?

Yes - You will then be seeing yourself from the same eye-level as someone else of the same height

If I'm thinking correctly, it would be the view from someone stood twice the distance of you to the mirror.
For example, to look at your feet you would look at a point on the mirror around waist height. If someone was stood the same distance behind the mirror your line of sight would carry on to their feet instead.

[Silver Smudger]

Xerstead said:

Silver Smudger said:

longone said:

If you wish to position a mirror on a wall such that the image you see of yourself is what someone one of similar height would see when looking at you, is it simply a matter of it being a plain mirror positioned perpendicular to the floor?

Yes - You will then be seeing yourself from the same eye-level as someone else of the same height

If I'm thinking correctly, it would be the view from someone stood twice the distance of you to the mirror.
For example, to look at your feet you would look at a point on the mirror around waist height. If someone was stood the same distance behind the mirror your line of sight would carry on to their feet instead.

That is correct, if the mirror was a window the view would be the same as that of someone standing where your reflection appears to be.