Mirrors have been around since ancient times, made from various materials such as stone or metal. While often functional objects, mirrors may also serve as decorative accents in interior spaces.
Mirrors are unique reflective objects, reflecting every colour in the visible spectrum. This makes them incredibly useful in a variety of applications.
Origin
Mirrors are artificial objects that reflect light to a viewer. Throughout history, different cultures have crafted mirrors as important spiritual or religious artifacts.
Archaeologists estimate the earliest known manufactured mirrors to be around 8,000 years old. These pieces were crafted from obsidian, a volcanic glass found in Anatolia, modern-day Turkey. Unfortunately, these small and poorly made mirrors did not last long.
The elite classes of ancient societies primarily used early glass mirrors. They were small and costly, made by blowing a bubble into a glass and cutting away part of its surface.
By the 15th century, glass-making techniques had advanced enough that the widespread production of mirrors Adelaide became feasible. These mirrors had a low-temperature lead coating and a slightly convex shape.
Mirrors were not only used to beautify one’s appearance, but they served as a form of self-expression as well. They played an essential role in many rituals, such as casting out evil spirits and communicating with the gods.
Mirrors were also believed to be gateways into supernatural realms. In some cultures, when someone passes away, their family covers all the mirrors in the house to prevent their soul from becoming trapped within them.
Mirrors became more widely popular as people sought to differentiate themselves from others. In European societies, upper-class citizens sought new ways to accentuate their looks and adorn their homes with decorative mirrors.
Function
The light that strikes a mirror bounces off in an organised pattern rather than travelling straight on as it would if the light came from another object. This organised behaviour allows us to view the world through a mirror.
Mirrors can be helpful in many contexts, such as making pictures appear distorted or more realistic, advertising and graphic design, and creating illusions like a mirror or reversed images.
Mirrors are made by coating glass with a thin layer of metal, typically silver or gold, that shields it from scratches, nicks and stains caused by rough surfaces. It protects the glass against scratches, dents and stains caused by accidental impacts or fingerprints.
The metal coating is applied and then baked or vacuumed onto mirror surfaces by heating in an oven or vacuum chamber. Once hardened, cutting out the metal layer can be accomplished using tools such as diamond saws, scribes and blades, depending on its shape.
Mirrors also serve a vital signalling purpose. They’re employed in many military and other fields to transmit data over long distances; Native American tribes even use them to communicate with relatives.
Reflection brings light back to its source, allowing observers to perceive it precisely as they would if the object were physically present. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the law of reflection.
Mirrors are particularly adept at reflecting light due to their parallel rays that reflect it in an organised pattern similar to how we perceive reality.
Materials
Mirrors come in various materials, such as glass, acrylic and metal. The selection of material depends on its purpose and intended use.
Glass is an ideal material for many applications, but it also has some drawbacks. For instance, drilling holes into it can be challenging due to its hardness; thus making the mirror vulnerable to splintering or shattering when broken.
Glass can be coated with various metals, such as silver and aluminium. Both these coatings are effective at decreasing glare and increasing reflectivity.
These coatings offer much more excellent scratch resistance than metal finishes, which is especially valuable in scientific applications where mirrors may be exposed to harsh environments.
Mirrors are typically coated with silver or aluminium, though other materials can also be used depending on the application and desired reflection properties. For example, a silver-coated mirror works well for standard visible and ultraviolet light, while an aluminium-coated mirror works better in infrared wavelengths.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the process of turning raw materials into finished products. It can involve product planning and design, prototyping, commercial production, inspection and delivery. Manufacturers often utilise assembly lines for faster production with lower labour costs and skill requirements.
Mirrors may also be manufactured through the vacuum deposition process. In this step, heated glass is heated inside a chamber until the metal coating adheres to its surface.
After cooling, the mirrors Adelaide is checked for quality assurance and cut to shape manually or using a machine that cuts it precisely.
Mirror characteristics are essential to various applications, from household mirrors to high-tech telescopes and laser beam transmission systems. Depending on the mirror’s design, its tolerances may be very tight.