Light and optics

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Subject classification: this is a physics resource .

Geometric optics

Light and optics are all around you. There are several different kinds of lenses and mirrors including concave and convex .

One of the central formulae in geometric optics is the thin-lens equation (also known as the lens-maker's equation). This states that for a lens (or mirror) with focal length f,

$\frac{1}{f} = \frac{1}{s} + \frac{1}{s'}$

where s is the distance between the lens and the object, and s' is the distance from the lens to the image of the object.

Also a general equation for magnification is as follows:

$m = \frac{y'}{y} = \frac{-s'}{s}$

where y is the object height and y' is the image height.

There is also the Lensmaker's equation, which states that

$\dfrac{1}{f}=(n-1)\left(\dfrac{1}{R_2}-\dfrac{1}{R_2}\right)$

There is also a more general version of the formula if the lens is placed inside a medium other than air:

$\dfrac{1}{f}=\left(\dfrac{n_2}{n_1}-1\right)\left(\dfrac{1}{R_2}-\dfrac{1}{R_2}\right)$

You can find a good description of lenses in w:Lens (optics)

Physical Optics

One of the basic theories of physical optics is that $c=f\lambda$, or that the speed of light is equal to its frequency times its wavelength.

External links

• Optics Express Optics open access journal