Final answer:
The commander holds a concave mirror for Offred. Concave mirrors are used to produce enlarged, upright images and are common in makeup applications. The shape of a mirror can be experimentally confirmed by observing the behavior of reflected light rays.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of mirror that the commander holds for Offred to put on her makeup is a concave mirror. Concave mirrors are commonly used in makeup mirrors because they can produce a larger, upright image. This occurs when the object (in this case, the person's face) is positioned within the focal point of the mirror. The concave mirror gathers light rays and reflects them in such a manner that all reflected rays appear to originate from the same point behind the mirror, effectively magnifying the image seen by the observer.
To experimentally confirm the shape of a mirror, one could observe the behavior of light rays as they reflect off the surface. For instance, the printed warning 'Objects in mirror are closer than they appear' indicates the use of a convex mirror in car side mirrors. Convex mirrors diverge light rays, making objects appear smaller and further away than they actually are. The opposite is true for concave mirrors, which converge light rays and can make images appear larger and closer.