I know it's a fact but my mind doesn't want to believe it

[Indistinguishable]

@Ghanima

I think people might find it easier to understand if you place your theoretical mirror on the floor. It eliminates an aspect of the confusion.

:smack: Of course! I should have done that; this is pedagogically beautiful.

@KneadToKnow

On this we can agree.

Your original post sounded entirely too much like the “watch me turn this dollar bill upside down just by folding it” trick, and I thought you were pulling someone’s leg by telling them that turning a piece of paper upside down would magically change the actual facts of how a mirror works. Let’s just let it go at that.

Fine by me. I’m curious, however… what is this dollar bill inverting folding trick? The way you describe it, I suppose it must be something really groan-inducingly unimpressive, but I actually have no idea what it is.

[KneadToKnow]

It’s hard to explain. I’ll see if I can find a demo online.

[KneadToKnow]

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyYmgLflRrk

And, yes, I was about his age when I learned it.

[Xema]

@outlierrn

‘‘Ground’’ is an electronics concept; a car, or a battery operated radio has a gound, or ‘‘common’’ where the electrons go after they’ve passed through the various circuits. VERY LOOSELY you could think of it as the place where all the pachinko balls collect. In the case of houses and such ground is the actual earth.

Right.

But the OP states that “in order for it all to work I have to stick one end in the ground”. I’m having trouble thinking of electronic devices for which this is so.

[Rick]

@Xema

Right.

But the OP states that “in order for it all to work I have to stick one end in the ground”. I’m having trouble thinking of electronic devices for which this is so.

The OP is poorly worded. outlierrn is right. In your car for example the chassis and body from the ground. No connection to the actual ground, but if you don’t electrically connect your radio back to the chassis it won’t play.

[Mangetout]

@Xema

Right.

But the OP states that “in order for it all to work I have to stick one end in the ground”. I’m having trouble thinking of electronic devices for which this is so.

It’s true of crystal radios.