Final answer:
The image formed by a plane mirror has a consistent size, regardless of the observer's position, and maintains the object's color and details. It is a virtual, upright image situated behind the mirror at a distance equal to that of the object in front. Curved mirrors, not plane mirrors, can change the size of the reflected image.
Step-by-step explanation:
When examining the characteristics of the image formed by a plane mirror, we can observe several consistent properties:
- The image size in a plane mirror is constant and does not change regardless of the distance between the observer and the mirror;
- The image is a virtual image, meaning it cannot be projected on a screen as it appears to be behind the mirror;
- The orientation of the image is upright, just like the object;
- The distance of the image behind the mirror is equal to the distance of the object in front of the mirror;
- The color and details of the object are preserved in the image, as there is no color alteration due to the mirror's reflective coating.
The only time an image would alter in size is when curved mirrors such as concave or convex mirrors are used, as they can magnify or diminish the size of the reflected images depending on the position of the object relative to the mirror's focal point.