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Do mirrors Reflect UV rays?

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^ As above. Like UV rays from the sun. If I put a mirror outside going inside to get some "light" on an area(inside), would the UV rays come along?
 
UV rays can be reflected by water, pavement, or sand (which is why you can get burned under an umbrella on the beach) so I would think a mirror would reflect UV very well.
 

Dilbert

Member
Since UV rays are very close (in wavelength and energy) to the visible spectrum, I would expect that a conventional mirror would also be able to reflect UV.
 
Yes UV rays can be reflected by mirrors, and can even be focused by certain mirrors...I believe it is convex mirrors...But I'm not sure about that part.
 

CrunchyB

Member
NO*

*Glass (and many plastics) stops low wavelengths of light, that's why you don't get a tan behind windows. If the mirror is made of glass, it won't reflect the all the UV light.

This is a problem with making ICs, since the low wavelength lasers needed for modern ICs can't be reflected with a plain glass mirror.

edited: I said frequency but meant wavelength. I blame the alcohol.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
CrunchyB said:
NO*

*Glass (and many plastics) stops low frequencies of light, that's why you don't get a tan behind windows. If the mirror is made of glass, it won't reflect the all the UV light.

This is a problem with making ICs, since the low frequency lasers needed for modern ICs can't be reflected with a plain glass mirror.

then why does my right arm get sunburned when driving with the window up?
 
mrklaw said:
then why does my right arm get sunburned when driving with the window up?

Normal windows and mirrors block most of the UV light, but not all. The remaining is enough to cause tanning.
 

Hitokage

Setec Astronomer
CrunchyB said:
NO*

*Glass (and many plastics) stops low frequencies of light, that's why you don't get a tan behind windows. If the mirror is made of glass, it won't reflect the all the UV light.

This is a problem with making ICs, since the low frequency lasers needed for modern ICs can't be reflected with a plain glass mirror.
Perhaps I'm misreading you, but UV is a higher frequency band than visible light... IR is what's lower.
 

CrunchyB

Member
Hitokage said:
Perhaps I'm misreading you, but UV is a higher frequency band than visible light... IR is what's lower.

Sorry, I was drunk ;)
I meant wavelength. UV is high frequency/short wavelength.
 
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