The rear-view mirror in a car is a reflective surface that allows the driver to see the area behind the vehicle. Most standard rear-view mirrors have a flat surface to reflect a true image, meaning that objects in the mirror appear as they are.
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Types of Rear-View Mirrors:
- Interior Rear-View Mirror: Located at the top of the windshield inside the car. It typically provides the driver with a view directly behind the vehicle through the rear windshield.
- Exterior Rear-View Mirrors or Side Mirrors: Positioned outside the vehicle on both the driver and passenger sides. They give the driver a view of the areas beside and behind the vehicle.
How They Work:
- Normal Reflection: The majority of the time, the mirrors operate using standard reflection, where light bounces off the mirror at the same angle at which it hits the mirror, providing a clear and accurate representation of what’s behind the vehicle.
- Anti-Glare Feature: Many interior rear-view mirrors have an anti-glare or “day/night” feature. This feature is used to reduce the glare from headlights behind you at night. The mirror can be toggled between two positions:
- Day Position: Functions as a normal mirror.
- Night Position: Changes the angle of reflection. In this position, the reflective surface is a wedge-shaped piece of glass with a thin layer of silver. It reflects light off the front and rear surfaces of the glass, creating a secondary, dimmer reflection that reduces glare.
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Adjustment:
For effective use, rear-view mirrors should be properly adjusted. The interior mirror should be positioned to center the view through the rear window, and the side mirrors should be adjusted to just capture the side of the car in its inner edge, maximizing the view of the adjacent lanes and minimizing blind spots.
Convex Mirrors:
Side mirrors are often slightly convex (curved outward), especially on the passenger side, to provide a wider field of view. However, this can make objects appear smaller and further away than they are, which is why many of these mirrors are labeled with the warning, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”
The combination of all these features and adjustments helps drivers to be aware of their surroundings, enhancing safety on the road.
