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Inquiries Into Physics

Chapter 9: Optics

1. Light Waves
2. Mirrors: Plane and Not so Simple
3. Refraction and Reflection
4. Lenses and Images
5. The Human Eye
6. Dispersion and Color
7. Atmospheric Optics

Optics Videos

Light Waves	Discussion	Streaming	Download	Demo Page
Slit Diffraction	Interference between light waves coming from different slits will produce interference patterns imposed on the single slit diffraction pattern. The video starts with single slit, then shows double and triple slits.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6D20.10
Mirrors: Plane and Not So Simple	Discussion	Streaming	Download	Demo Page
Flat Mirror; Blackboard Optics	On a flat mirror, the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A10.10
Concave Mirror; Blackboard Optics	On a concave mirror, the light is reflected back through a focal point.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A20.10
Convex Mirror; Blackboard Optics	On a convex mirror, the light is reflected back through a perceived focal point situated behind the mirror.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A20.10
Concave Mirror, large	Curved mirrors obviously distort the image. For a concave mirror, the image will appear right-side-up.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A20.45
Contraconcave Mirrors (Mirage)	Two concave mirrors facing one another can be used to create a hologram. Perhaps this is how some people produce ghostly images?	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A20.35
Refraction and Reflection	Discussion	Streaming	Download	Demo Page
Total Internal Reflection; Aquarium	When light travels from a denser to a less dense medium, such as water to air, there is a critical angle of incidence beyond which the light will be total internally reflected at the internal surface of the water rather than refracted out into the air.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A44.20
Total Internal Reflection; Blackboard Optics	When light travels from a denser to a less dense medium, such as plastic to air, there is a critical angle of incidence beyond which the light will be total internally reflected at the internal surface of the plastic rather than refracted out into the air.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A44.10
Fiber Optics; Cable	Fiber Optics work due to total internal reflection. A cable can even be tied in a knot and the light will still be emitted by the other end.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A44.40
Fiber Optics; Lucite Curl	Fiber Optics work due to total internal reflection. A curl made of Lucite will still emit light at the other end.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A44.40
Lenses and Images	Discussion	Streaming	Download	Demo Page
Aquarium Optics	An aquarium of dyed water shows how a convex lens produces a magnified image.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A60.49
Converging Lens; Blackboard Optics	A converging (convex) lens focuses light through a focal point before creating a magnified image.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A60.10
Diverging Lens; Blackboard Optics	A diverging (concave) lens defuses light.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A60.10
Disappearing Beaker	Pyrex and Wesson oil have the same index of refraction. Thus, a small test tube filled with oil set into a larger container of oil will "disappear".	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A40.30
Thick Lens	A thick lens shows great distortion around the edges. Notice that is the object is inside the len's focal length, the image is upright, but outside the focal length, the image is upside down and much larger.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6A65.31
Dispersion and Color	Discussion	Streaming	Download	Demo Page
Diffraction grating	Due to the small slits in a diffraction grating, light can be broken down into its constituent colors. For this source, there seems to be three distinct lines; a red/orange, a faint green and a faint blue.	Real	Real MPG	Optics 6D20.20
CD Diffraction	The lines on a CD are close enough together to act as a diffraction grating and separate light into its constituent colors.	Real	Real MPG