Write a short note on what is meant by lateral inversion.

Lateral inversion means the left and right sides of an object appear reversed when seen in a plane mirror, while the top and bottom remain the same.

Why Does Lateral Inversion Happen?

When light rays reflect from a mirror, they change direction according to the law of reflection. The front-back reversal causes objects to appear flipped sideways, creating the effect of left-right reversal.

Examples of Lateral Inversion

• The word "AMBULANCE" is written in reverse on ambulances so that drivers see it correctly in their rear-view mirrors.
• When you raise your right hand, the image in the mirror appears to raise its left hand.
• Writing on a paper placed in front of a mirror appears reversed.

Key Characteristics

• Occurs only in plane mirrors.
• Left-right reversal happens, not top-bottom.
• The image is virtual and cannot be projected on a screen.
• The image is of the same size as the object.

Applications

• Medical instruments like endoscopes use mirrors where inversion must be considered.
• Rear-view mirrors in vehicles show inverted images.