Sideview mirrors are one of the varied uses of a mirror.
A mirror is a highly reflective surface--like glass or polished metal--that reflects light without diffusing it, allowing the glass or metal to give back a clear image of an object placed in front of it, according to its dictionary definition. A lens is a transparent material, such as glass or plastic, with opposite surfaces. Mirrors and lenses differ in their composition, their uses and how light reflects off and through them to display images.
Light Reflection
Mirrors are level surfaces and have to be perfectly smooth. Mirrors reflect a high concentration of light without transmitting the light or absorbing the light. In order for a person to see their image in a mirror, light falls on the body and must be transmitted and absorbed in very small amounts. The mirror has to reflect back the highest amount of the light to display the image. Lenses concentrate or disperse light, which shows up in the form of various images in the form of photographs or as seen through another lens as in a telescope, which bring faraway objects closer to the viewer.
Physical Differences
A lens is transparent meaning you can see through it. Lenses are curved on one or both sides in order to allow light to be distributed in order to form the images a person sees. Lenses are clear and colorless, making them easy to see through. A mirror is flat and even. One side of the glass or metal is coated with aluminum or silver in order to reflect images back off of it. Mirrors come in all shapes and sizes--hand mirrors, full length mirrors, square, round, to name just a few.
Uses
Lenses are used in a variety of ways, including for optical purposes. Eyeglasses are lens set in a frame to aid in correcting impaired eyesight. Contact lenses are small cut lenses placed directly onto the eye to correct a person's vision. Both types of lenses are cut to meet the prescription and recommendation by an optometrist. Lenses are also used in camera equipment, telescopes or microscopes to magnify images and bring them closer.
Reflective mirrors are used in households, in salons, department stores and other settings in order to allow a person to see a reflected image. Cars have rear-view and side mirrors installed to allow the driver to see a magnified view of the other cars behind and on the sides of them. Mirrors can also be used to decorate a home or office space, where they help increase the perception of light and space.
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