• Cralder@lemmy.world
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    17 days ago

    This is actually really interesting and I think about it every time I look in a large mirror. IIRC it is because the mirror is always “halfway” between you and your mirror image. So as you step back your mirror image gets further away and looks smaller, but so does the mirror.

    • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
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      17 days ago

      Nah if u step back far enough it should show your whole body. The only exception being if its angled weirdly or if its not flat but curved in a special way.

      • Bassman1805@lemmy.world
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        16 days ago

        Nope, the geometry actually works out such that it doesn’t matter your distance from the mirror, only how tall the mirror is and how high it’s mounted.

        A mirror that is as half as tall as your, mounted at head height, will show your white whole body regardless of how far away you are from it. TECHNICALLY, the bottom edge must be halfway between your eyes and feet, and the top edge must be halfway between your eyes and top of head.

      • bleistift2@sopuli.xyz
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        17 days ago

        If you’d be so kind, how far do you have to get away from a flat mirror to show your whole image?

        • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
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          17 days ago

          Depends on the size of the mirror and how far it is off the ground. If its a full sized 2m tall mirror then the min distance is obviously zero. If its a small bathroom sink mirror that doesnt go down to the floor, then you need to be really far away, further than you can be in a bathroom.

          • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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            17 days ago

            Uhhh no, that’s not how angles work.

            The further you get away from a mirror, the “further away” the reflection is. You will never see your whole body in a hand mirror, even if you put it on the moon.