What type of mirrors are the side mirrors on a car?
1 Answers
Car side mirrors are convex mirrors. Convex mirrors have a light-dispersing effect, providing a wider field of vision compared to flat mirrors, which enhances safety. Here are the relevant details: 1. Flat mirrors: Generally, there are two types of rearview mirror surfaces. One is the flat mirror, which, as the name suggests, has a flat surface. In technical terms, it has an "infinite surface curvature radius R," similar to typical household mirrors, producing an image that matches the actual size. Flat mirrors are commonly used as interior rearview mirrors. 2. Convex mirrors: The other type is the convex mirror, which has a spherical surface with varying curvature radii. These mirrors produce a smaller image than the actual size but offer a broader field of view, functioning like a camera's "wide-angle lens." Convex mirrors are typically used as exterior side mirrors and lower rearview mirrors.