Have you ever felt like someone is watching you in a bathroom, dressing room, or other private area using double sided mirrors ? You can tell if it’s a double sided mirror by looking at how it’s mounted and using a few simple techniques to examine if there’s a wall behind it. You’ve probably heard of the fingernail test, but there are more practical ways to detect if a mirror is double sided.
What Are Double Sided Mirrors ?
A double sided mirror, also known as two-way mirror or two-way glass is a mirror that is reflective on a side, and clear on the other. Allowing people to see themselves on the reflective side, but people on the other side can see through it like if at a window.
Double sided mirrors are produced in the same manner as regular mirrors are, with a thin metal coating behind the glass; However, double sided mirror contains half the amount of metal backing that standard mirrors have. One coat of metal reflects most of the light back toward the source but allows part of it to pass through, allowing people on the other side to see through.
How to Tell if A Mirror Is Double Sided ?
If you have been in a situation, where you just aren’t sure if the mirror you are looking at is a regular or a double sided mirror, you can use these simple technics to examine the mirror in front of you.
Here we’ll present 5 simple ways that will help you tell if a mirror is double sided. These ways are non-destructible ways that will tell you if the mirror you’re looking at is a one way or two way mirror.
The accuracy of these tests depends on light conditions, the size of the mirror besides the angle of hanging. So don’t jump swiftly to conclusions.
The tests that proved their efficiency in telling if a mirror is double sided are :
- The fingernail test
- The sound test
- The flash light test
Also their are two other examinations that you can do, and which it can tell you if the mirror ahead is double sided:
- Examination of the ambient lightning
- Examination of the hanging style
1. Try a Fingernail Test
Place your fingertip against the reflecting surface. If there is a space between your nail and the mirror, it is most likely a real mirror.
However, if you hold your finger up to the mirror and it looks like your finger is directly contacting the finger in the mirror, you should investigate into it deeply. According to Snopes, depending on the size of the sample, this test might be inaccurate.
According to Snopes (the Urban Legends Reference Pages), this test can be inaccurate depending on the size of the mirror, the angle at which it is hung, and the lighting in the room, so don’t jump to conclusions, before you examine furthermore the mirror.
2. Your Phone Flashlight Can Help !
Turn of the light of the room then point your phone flashlight to the mirror. If it’s a double sided mirror, you’ll be able to see what’s going on behind the mirror.
3. How It Sounds Like ?
Answering this question can be very helpful determining if it’s a double sided mirror or not. Use your knuckle to tap on the mirror, if you hear a flat sound it’s most likely a regular mirror. On the other hand, if it’s sounds open and hollow, there is probably an open space on the other side.
4. Check How The Mirror is Installed
Usually, in the public places mirrors are seems to be either hanging on the wall or a part of the wall itself. If the mirror appears to be hanged on the wall and you can see the wall behind it, it’s most likely a regular mirror.
On the other hand is the mirror seems to be a part of the wall and you can’t see what’s behind it, there is a fair chance that it’s a double sided mirror.
5. What About The Lighting ?
Double sided mirrors needs a strong lighting to work effectively. So if you are in an area where the lighting is low and not strong enough, you’re most likely using a regular mirror. On the other hand, if the lighting is strong you need to be more aware.
How Double Sided Mirrors Work ?
A double sided mirror is a type of glass mirror that has two surfaces. The front surface is for viewing yourself, and the back surface is for viewing yourself from the opposite side.
To know exactly how double sided mirrors work, you should understand how regular mirrors work first.
A regular mirror works by reflecting light that coming through the glass via a metallic coating (usually aluminum), that covers the back of your mirror surface.
On the other hand, A two-way mirror also contains this metal coating, but covering only a small portion on the whole mirror surface. If just half the mirror’s total surface area is covered by reflective molecules.
Double sided mirror reflects only half of the light that hits it – meaning the remaining light can pass through to the other side. As long as the room on the other side is darkened, it will be possible to see through the mirror into that brighter room.
Are Double Sided Mirrors Legal ?
If Double sided mirrors are used in a public area where privacy is expected such as restrooms, dressing rooms or public toilettes, they are illegal of course.
On the other hand, they are legalized by law enforcement in the interrogation rooms (it’s where you probably saw them in Hollywood movies) and for lineups.
How Do You Tell if A Mirror Is a One Sided Mirror?
There are a few ways to tell if a mirror is one-sided. First, look at the surface of the mirror. If it’s smooth, it’s likely one-sided. Second, hold the mirror up to a light source. If you can see through the mirror, it’s one-sided. Finally, try to reflect light off the mirror. If the light doesn’t reflect evenly, it’s probably one-sided.
Regular Mirror VS Double Sided Mirror
A normal mirror is a mirror that reflects images in only one direction. A double sided mirror is a mirror that reflects images in both directions.
Double sided mirrors work by reflecting an image on both sides of the mirror. This allows the person in front of the mirror to see themselves while also allowing people behind the mirror to see what the person in front is seeing.
