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What is the difference between a white object and a mirror?
When I look at a red object under white light, I see it as red because it absorbs the other colours and reflects the red light.
When I wear black clothes in summer, I get hotter than if I wear white clothes because the black absorbs all colours of light and the energy associated with it.
So my question is, what makes the difference between a white piece of paper and a mirror? The white paper doesn't absorb any colours, that's why it looks white. But what makes that different from a mirror, which also reflects the light that hits it?
Or is my basic understanding of light and colour wrong? I'm not exactly experienced in Physics, I just like knowing how some things work.
