Question

Why AMBULANCE is written laterally inverted on an Ambulance Van?
A. It gathers more attention since it is laterally inverted.
B. The vehicle in front sees a laterally inverted image and perceives it correctly, hence giving side to the ambulance van.
C. The vehicle in front sees a laterally erect image and perceives it correctly, hence giving side to the ambulance van.
D. None of the above.

Answer 1

Hint: In this we first know that in case of mirrors lateral inversion takes place therefore, we write AMBULANCE in a reverse manner so in our rear-mirror it can be obtained on our mirrors as original AMBULANCE and other vehicles make way for the ambulance. We use a convex mirror instead of a plane mirror because the former gives a much wider view in comparison to the latter.

Complete Step-by-Step solution:
Word AMBULANCE is written in reverse because the mirror shows a characteristic of what we call "lateral inversion". A lateral inversion is a phenomenon in which if a body is located in front of the mirror the left side of the body becomes the right side of the image and the right side of the body becomes the left side of the image.
Accordingly, the already written inverse AMBULANCE is viewed through the rear-view mirror, which is a convex mirror also known as a diverging mirror that provides a large-scale view of the field of the vehicle so that the driver could comfortably get to know about the ambulance and provide a way to it. A convex mirror is also used as it always provides an erect and diminished image.
Writing the AMBULANCE in reverse also helps the other vehicles that are a few distances from away from the ambulance to know that the ambulance is on the way behind it and therefore they also make way for the ambulance. An ambulance carries emergency patients, and it requires to drive fast on its way to the hospital. So when the preceding vehicles see the name easily they can provide a way for the ambulance to overtake.
Therefore option C is correct.

Note: For these types of questions we should be clear with the practical uses of mirrors. That is why a convex mirror is used in the rear view of vehicles, security mirror, magnifying mirror, and why the concave mirror is used as a makeup mirror, telescope reflecting mirror, and headlights mirror.