Q: FROM MENTEE KATIE D. IN MN
Okay so when Ilook into a mirror that is for example one foot away from my face, I can see my reflection. But my question is: Am I seeing myself from one foot away or two feet? (the distance to the reflection is one foot but to see the actual reflection, you need to look another foot. So are you seeing yourself twice as far away when you look into a mirror?

July 17, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN. TO READ BIO CLICK HERE.
Interesting question. I don't know anything about optics so I did two
experiments. I need glasses to read these days because I can't focus
until I get at least 2 feet away from something so I held a newspaper
up next to a mirror and moved away until I could read it properly.
Then without moving my head, I brought the newspaper close to my face
so I could see the paper in the mirror. I found that I could move
much closer to the mirror and still read the paper all the way to
about 1 foot from the mirror. The second experiment was to stand with
my back to a mirror and pick an object directly ahead of me (a
dresser). I held up my fingers a few inches in front of me and
measured the dresser as about 3" apparent width. I turned around
without moving my arm and compared the width of the dresser in the
reflection and it was the same as before (I was quite close to the
mirror). Then I walked over to the dresser itself and compared the
size of the reflection and it was about half the size it had been
before. I conclude that you see yourself from twice as far when you
look in a mirror.

July 16, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR DANELL OLIVER-COLLINS. TO READ BIO CLICK HERE.
What you are seeing is an exact reflect of everything from the surface of
the mirror out. So if you are a foot away from the mirror the reflection
of you is a foot away. Distances do not change in a reflection unless the
mirror says "objects in the mirror are closer than they appear" like car
side mirrors.