Glass vs. Mirror: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Glass is a transparent material; a mirror is glass coated to reflect light and form images.
Key Differences
Glass serves various purposes, primarily allowing light to pass through, which makes it ideal for windows or lenses. Its transparency is its most defining feature, making it useful in various applications, from architecture to technology. On the other hand, a mirror starts as a piece of glass but gains an additional layer, usually a metallic coating, that reflects light. This reflective quality defines a mirror, turning a transparent surface into one that shows a user their own image or other objects in reverse.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Glass is crafted from silica and other industrial materials, melted at high temperatures to form a clear or tinted substance. It can be molded into numerous shapes, from flat sheets for windows to intricate figures for art. In contrast, a mirror is more than just shaped glass; it’s a crafted item that involves a precise layering process. The glass is treated with reflective materials, like silver or aluminum, to create a surface that doesn't just allow light through but bounces it back.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
The inherent quality of glass is its clarity and the ability to be shaped, which has made it essential in eyewear, electronics, and household items. Mirrors, utilizing the base properties of glass, extend their functionality by enabling reflection, critical in areas such as interior design, automotive safety, and personal grooming. Both glass and mirrors can be enhanced with additional treatments for strength, clarity, and reflectivity.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
While glass is an essential component of a mirror, not all glass is made to reflect. Some glass is optimized for insulation or to protect against UV light, showing the material’s versatility. Mirrors focus on reflection and accurate representation, used in everything from telescopes to dance studios. Each serves its purpose by manipulating light differently, glass by its transparency, and mirrors by their reflective capability.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
Glass can break into sharp pieces when shattered, posing a safety risk. Safety measures like tempering or lamination can make it less dangerous. Mirrors share this risk but also add the complexity of the reflective layer, which can peel or tarnish over time. Both require careful handling and maintenance to retain their properties and appearance.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 11, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Composition
Made of silica sand, soda ash, and limestone
Glass with a reflective coating (metallic or aluminum)
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Clarity
Transparent, can be tinted
Reflective surface, often backed with opaque material
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Nov 11, 2023
Surface
Smooth, but not necessarily reflective
Smooth and coated for reflectivity
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Nov 11, 2023
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Glass and Mirror Definitions
Glass
A hard, brittle substance, typically transparent or translucent, made by fusing sand with soda, lime, and sometimes other additives.
She peered through the glass of the storefront.
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Nov 08, 2023
Mirror
Something that closely resembles or is a true representation of something else.
The test scores were a mirror of the students' hard work.
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Nov 08, 2023
Glass
The amount of liquid that a glass container can hold.
She drank a full glass of lemonade.
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Nov 08, 2023
Mirror
To reflect or give a faithful representation of something.
The movie mirrors the book quite closely.
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Nov 08, 2023
Glass
A lens, especially one in a pair of spectacles.
His glasses fogged up as he entered the warm room.
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Nov 08, 2023
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Mirror
A reflective surface, typically of glass coated with a metal amalgam, which reflects a clear image.
She checked her reflection in the mirror before leaving.
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Nov 08, 2023
Glass
Any of a large class of materials with highly variable mechanical and optical properties that solidify from the molten state without crystallization, are typically made by silicates fusing with boric oxide, aluminum oxide, or phosphorus pentoxide, are generally hard, brittle, and transparent or translucent, and are considered to be supercooled liquids rather than true solids.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
A surface capable of being used to check one's appearance.
He installed a full-length mirror in his bedroom.
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Nov 08, 2023
Mirror
To mimic or imitate closely.
Her strategies mirrored those of her predecessor.
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Nov 08, 2023
Mirror
A surface capable of reflecting sufficient undiffused light to form an image of an object placed in front of it. Also called looking glass.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
Something that faithfully reflects or gives a true picture of something else.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
The series of transparent plastic sheets that are secured vertically above the boards in many ice rinks.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
To reflect in or as if in a mirror
"The city mirrors many of the greatest moments of Western culture" (Olivier Bernier).
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
Glasses A pair of lenses mounted in a light frame, used to correct faulty vision or protect the eyes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
(figuratively) An object, person, or event that reflects or gives a picture of another.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
A device, such as a monocle or spyglass, containing a lens or lenses and used as an aid to vision.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
(historical) A kind of political self-help book, advising kings, princes, etc. on how to behave.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
(transitive) Of an event, activity, behaviour, etc, to be identical to; to be a copy of.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
A looking-glass or a speculum; any glass or polished substance that forms images by the reflection of rays of light.
And in her hand she held a mirror bright,Wherein her face she often viewèd fair.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
That which gives a true representation, or in which a true image may be seen; hence, a pattern; an exemplar.
She is mirour of all courtesy.
O goddess, heavenly bright,Mirror of grace and majesty divine.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
To copy or duplicate; to mimic or imitate; as, the files at Project Gutenberg were mirrored on several other ftp sites around the world.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
To scan (a tract of land or forest, for example) with an optical instrument.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
To have a close resemblance to; as, his opinions often mirrored those of his wife.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
An amorphous solid, often transparent substance, usually made by melting silica sand with various additives (for most purposes, a mixture of soda, potash and lime is added).
The tabletop is made of glass.
A popular myth is that window glass is actually an extremely viscous liquid.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
Reflect as if in a mirror;
The smallest pond at night mirrors the firmament above
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
Any amorphous solid (one without a regular crystal lattice).
Metal glasses, unlike those based on silica, are electrically conductive, which can be either an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on the application.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mirror
Reflect or resemble;
The plane crash in Milan mirrored the attack in the World Trade Center
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
(countable) A vessel from which one drinks, especially one made of glass, plastic, or similar translucent or semi-translucent material.
Fill my glass with milk, please.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
(metonymically) The quantity of liquid contained in such a vessel.
There is half a glass of milk in each pound of chocolate we produce.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
(ice hockey) The clear, protective screen surrounding a hockey rink.
He fired the outlet pass off the glass.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
Lenses, considered collectively.
Her new camera was incompatible with her old one, so she needed to buy new glass.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
A pane of glass; a window (especially of a coach or similar vehicle).
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
(transitive) fibreglass To fit, cover, fill, or build, with fibreglass-reinforced resin composite (fiberglass).
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
To strike (someone), particularly in the face, with a drinking glass with the intent of causing injury.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
To bombard an area with such intensity (nuclear bomb, fusion bomb, etc) as to melt the landscape into glass.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
(transitive) To view through an optical instrument such as binoculars.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
(transitive) To smooth or polish (leather, etc.), by rubbing it with a glass burnisher.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
A hard, brittle, translucent, and commonly transparent substance, white or colored, having a conchoidal fracture, and made by fusing together sand or silica with lime, potash, soda, or lead oxide. It is used for window panes and mirrors, for articles of table and culinary use, for lenses, and various articles of ornament.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
Any substance having a peculiar glassy appearance, and a conchoidal fracture, and usually produced by fusion.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
A drinking vessel; a tumbler; a goblet; hence, the contents of such a vessel; especially; spirituous liquors; as, he took a glass at dinner.
Glass coaches are [allowed in English parks from which ordinary hacks are excluded], meaning by this term, which is never used in America, hired carriages that do not go on stands.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
To reflect, as in a mirror; to mirror; - used reflexively.
Happy to glass themselves in such a mirror.
Where the Almighty's form glasses itself in tempests.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
To smooth or polish anything, as leater, by rubbing it with a glass burnisher.
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
Amphetamine used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
Become glassy or take on a glass-like appearance;
Her eyes glaze over when she is bored
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Oct 19, 2023
Glass
Objects made from or incorporating glass, used for decoration or artistic expression.
The museum featured an exquisite collection of Venetian glass.
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Nov 08, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Is mirror glass stronger than regular glass?
Mirror glass has the same strength as regular glass, but the reflective coating does not add strength.
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Nov 11, 2023
What is tempered glass?
Tempered glass is heat-treated for increased strength and safety, shattering into small, dull pieces when broken.
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Nov 11, 2023
Can glass be colored?
Yes, glass can be tinted in various colors by adding metallic salts during its production.
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Nov 11, 2023
Are mirrors recyclable?
Mirrors can be more challenging to recycle due to the reflective coating, but it is possible.
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Nov 11, 2023
How do you clean glass?
Glass can be cleaned with a variety of cleaners, usually with a solution of vinegar or ammonia and water.
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Nov 11, 2023
Do mirrors reflect all light?
No, some light is absorbed by the mirror's coating, but most is reflected.
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Nov 11, 2023
What is glass made of?
Glass is typically made of a combination of silica sand, soda ash, and limestone.
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Nov 11, 2023
How is a mirror different from plain glass?
A mirror has a reflective coating on the back of the glass that causes it to reflect images.
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Nov 11, 2023
How is mirror glass made?
By applying a reflective coating, usually metallic, onto glass and sealing it with a protective layer.
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Nov 11, 2023
What is the main use of glass?
Glass is used for windows, bottles, eyewear, and many other applications where transparency is needed.
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Nov 11, 2023
What types of glass are there?
There are many types, including float, tempered, laminated, and stained glass.
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Nov 11, 2023
What causes glass to shatter?
Glass can shatter from impact, temperature changes, or defects.
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Nov 11, 2023
Is all glass transparent?
No, glass can be made opaque or translucent with coatings or additives.
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Nov 11, 2023
What is the main use of mirrors?
Mirrors are primarily used to reflect images, for personal grooming, decoration, or in optical instruments.
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Nov 11, 2023
Do mirrors come in different shapes?
Yes, mirrors can be cut and shaped into almost any design.
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Nov 11, 2023
Is glass recyclable?
Yes, glass is 100% recyclable without loss in purity or quality.
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Nov 11, 2023
Can mirrors be energy efficient?
Yes, mirrors can reflect light and heat, contributing to energy efficiency in a space.
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Nov 11, 2023
How do you clean a mirror without streaks?
Clean with a solution of vinegar or a commercial glass cleaner and wipe with a microfiber cloth for a streak-free finish.
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Nov 11, 2023
Can glass be bulletproof?
Yes, glass can be made bulletproof by layering it with polycarbonate materials or other composites.
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Nov 11, 2023
Why do old mirrors get spots?
The reflective coating may tarnish or degrade over time, leading to spots.
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Nov 11, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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