Book 13, Question 74 · Video
Why Do You Only Need a Half-Length Mirror to See Your Whole Body?
To see your whole body, a mirror only needs to be half as tall as you are. That is true no matter how far away you stand. Light from your head and feet each reaches your eyes by a
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What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do you only need a half-length mirror to see your whole body?
The Big Idea
To see your whole body, a mirror only needs to be half as tall as you are. That is true no matter how far away you stand. Light from your head and feet each reaches your eyes by a short path.
From Your Feet
Step one: from your feet. Light from your feet bounces off the lower half of the mirror. Then it travels up to your eyes.
From Your Head
Step two: from your head. Light from the top of your head bounces off the mirror too. It only needs the upper part, which is close to eye level.
Step Back
Step three: step back. If you step back, your reflection shrinks, but it still fits. But the mirror still covers all of you.
A Closer Look
Let's take a closer look! The top of your head shows in the upper mirror part. Your eyes sit between head and feet. Your toes show in the lowest part. The mirror between them is half your height.
Quick Facts
Quick facts! A half-length mirror can work as well as a full-length one. A full-length mirror is mostly extra glass. The mirror height does not change as you step back. Ask a grown-up to handle big glass mirrors.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Stick tape on a mirror at the spots where you see the top of your head and the tip of your toes. Step back and forward. Does the spacing change? Measure it. It should be half your height.
Outro
A half-length mirror is enough to see all of you. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!