Mirror Images and Water Images
Mirror Images and Water Images
A mirror image (mirror placed to the right or left) flips left and right: a word appears in reverse order with every letter reversed. A water image flips top and bottom: the order of letters stays the same, but each letter is turned upside down. Letters with the right symmetry look unchanged, and that is what most questions test.
1. Symmetry Tables (capital letters, plain block form)
| Image | Letters that look unchanged |
|---|---|
| Vertical mirror (left-right flip) | A, H, I, M, O, T, U, V, W, X, Y |
| Water image (top-bottom flip) | B, C, D, E, H, I, K, O, X |
| Both | H, I, O, X |
| Image | Effect on a word |
|---|---|
| Vertical mirror | Order reversed, each letter flipped left-right |
| Water image | Order kept, each letter flipped upside down |
| Mirror of the water image | Same as turning the figure through 180° |
Digits in plain block form: 0, 1 and 8 look the same in a vertical mirror; 0, 1, 3 and 8 look the same in water
Small letters: b in a vertical mirror becomes d; b in water becomes p; b turned through 180° becomes q
✗ In a mirror the word keeps its letter order | ✓ A vertical mirror reverses the order as well as each letter
✗ A water image is the same as a 180° turn | ✓ Water flips only top and bottom; a 180° turn also swaps left and right
हिंदी नोट: दर्पण प्रतिबिंब में बायाँ-दायाँ उलटता है, इसलिए शब्द का क्रम भी उलट जाता है। जल प्रतिबिंब में ऊपर-नीचे उलटता है, क्रम वही रहता है। H, I, O, X दोनों में समान दिखते हैं।
Exam Pointer: These patterns had no verified NTPC shift in our check (the mirror and water image pages found were from SSC and Group D papers) and are tagged syllabus-based. Mirror and water images are part of the NTPC non-verbal syllabus.
Pariksha Pattern: Every Way NTPC Asks This Topic
Pattern 1: Mirror image of a word
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. How does the word TOMATO appear in a vertical mirror?
T, O, M and A are symmetric left to right, so each letter looks the same, but the order reverses: OTAMOT.
Answer: OTAMOT
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which word looks exactly the same in a vertical mirror? (a) MOM (b) DAD (c) NOON (d) BOB
The word must read the same backwards and use only mirror-symmetric letters. MOM does both. D, N and B are not symmetric left to right.
Answer: (a) MOM
Pattern 2: Water image of a word
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. How does CHOICE appear in a water image?
C, H, O, I and E are symmetric top to bottom, and water keeps the letter order, so the word looks unchanged.
Answer: CHOICE (unchanged)
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. Which word looks unchanged in its water image? (a) BOX (b) CAT (c) DOG (d) SUN
B, O and X are all symmetric top to bottom. A, T, G, S, U and N are not.
Answer: (a) BOX
Pattern 3: Digits and numbers
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. In plain block form, which of the digits 0 to 9 look the same in a vertical mirror?
0, 1 and 8 are symmetric left to right; the others, such as 2, 3 and 7, flip into different shapes.
Answer: 0, 1 and 8
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. How does the number 1081 appear in a vertical mirror, and how does 3080 appear in water (plain block digits)?
In a mirror the order reverses and 1, 0, 8 look the same: 1801. In water the order stays and 3, 0, 8 look the same: 3080.
Answer: 1801; 3080 (unchanged)
Pattern 4: Letters in both images and 180° turns
[Pattern: syllabus-based, PYQ-style]
EXAM LEVEL
Q. Which capital letters look the same in both a vertical mirror and a water image?
Only letters symmetric both left-right and top-bottom: H, I, O and X.
Answer: H, I, O, X
EXAMATLAS LEVEL
Q. The small letter b is reflected in water, and the result is then reflected in a vertical mirror. What letter appears, and what single turn gives the same result?
In water b becomes p; in the mirror p becomes q. Turning b through 180° also gives q.
Answer: q; a 180° turn
60-Second Revision
- Mirror: reverse the order and flip each letter left-right.
- Water: keep the order and flip each letter top-bottom.
- Unchanged in both: H, I, O, X.
- Mirror plus water = 180° turn.