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A two-way mirror (also, one-way mirror or one-way glass) is a mirror which is partially reflective and partially transparent. When one side of the mirror is brightly lit and the other dark, it allows viewing from the darkened side but not vice versa.
Design
The glass is coated with, or encases, a thin and almost-transparent layer of metal (usually aluminum). The result is a mirrored surface that reflects some light and admits the rest.
When one side is brightly lit and the other kept dark, the latter becomes difficult to see from the former because it is masked by the much brighter reflection of the lit side.
Use
Such mirrors are used for one-way observation, with the viewing room often kept dark by a darkened curtain or a double door vestibule. These observation rooms have been used in:
- Interrogation rooms
- Experimental research
- Security observation decks in public areas
Smaller versions are sometimes used in:
- Security cameras, where the camera is hidden in a mirrored enclosure
- Teleprompters, where they allow a presenter to read from text projected onto glass directly in front of a film or television camera
- Stage effects (particularly Pepper's ghost)
- Low-emissivity windows on vehicles and housing
See also
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