Optics Definition and 999 Threads

  1. B

    Optics, Minimizing Reflection with Refraction Index Numbers HELP?

    Homework Statement What is the minimum thickness of coating which should be placed on a lens in order to minimize reflection of 401 nm light? The index of refraction of the coating material is 1.31 and the index of the glass is 1.56. Homework Equations I haven't been able to attempt the...
  2. M

    Optics, the resulting power of the lens .?

    optics, the resulting power of the lens...?? a thin lens , made of refractive index 1.5,has a front surface +11 d power and back surface -6d ..if this lens is submerged in a liquid of refractive index 1.6, the resulting power of the lens is... a)-1 dioptre b)+1 dioptre c)-5 dioptre...
  3. B

    Focal Points in Optics: Real-World Applications

    Hello everyone, I'm an optometry student who is currently doing Optics 1, and I have a general question about focal points. I can do the math regarding F1, F2, and the nodal ray, and I am decent at drawing the ray traces, but I would like to know more about the actual real world applications...
  4. I

    Books for tackling articles in Cavity QED and Quantum Optics

    Hi, I am a graduate student with a background more oriented in high energy physics and cosmology but switching to light and matter interaction, more specifically cavity QED and quantum optics. I need to have a working knowledge on those topics, being able to read state of the art articles and...
  5. M

    Scanners and Optics Explained: Mirrors, Lens & CCD Array

    Hello all! I am really rconfused about the optical part of a scanner head. :frown: I read that it consists of mirrors, a lens and the ccd array. But how this lens looks like? Is it like a large slice? Do really exist such lenses? How can such a lens have so good resolution and so large field...
  6. L

    Mathematics used in optics and intro to modern physics

    Hello. I am taking intro to modern physics and optics next semester, the intro to modern physics is a 300 level class and the optics course is a 500 level class, at Wayne State University. I want to come into next semester very well practiced in the math needed for those classes. Could...
  7. P

    Geometric Optics - Converging Lens

    Homework Statement A certain lens focuses light from an object 2.90m away as an image 46.9cm on the other side of the lens. 1. What type of lens is it? (Converging or Diverging?) 2. What is the focal length? 3. Is the image real or virtual? Homework Equations 1/di + 1/do = 1/f...
  8. L

    Optical DIY Telescope: Optics Guide for Using Magnifying Glasses

    Okay so I want to make a telescope at home... Im not a noob. Even if I am please just help me. I've got a couple of magnifying glasses ..pretty big .. I don't know the exact focal length... But one of them is twice the size of other... As soon as the sun comes up I'll find their focal...
  9. S

    Exploring Optics: A Visual Guide to Understanding Light and Its Properties

    Can anyone tell me a self teaching book or lecture notes on physical optics which has all the concept written in very clear and simple way with lots of example and all the related derivation done in step by step manner . As I am not so familiar with this subject but I want to start it so a good...
  10. K

    Optics question involving light waves

    I tried to solve this question. NO idea if I'm even on the right track. Homework Statement Suppose irradiation of a 100W light bubble (very small - be assumed as point source) is homogeneous in all directions. Because of low efficiency, only 2% of the electrical energy will be...
  11. H

    Optics - Angular Magnification

    Homework Statement The eyepiece of a compound microscope has a focal length of 2.50 cm and the objective has a focal length of 1.5 cm. The two lenses are separated by 17 cm. The microscope is used by a person with normal eyes (near point at 25 cm). What is the angular magnification of the...
  12. N

    Classical optics: Lambda-quarter plates

    Hi Say I have a magnetic field point in some well-known direction, and I have linearly polarized light incident in that direction. I want to convert my π-polarization to σ-polarization, so I find my lambda-quarter plate. However, how do I know whether it produce σ+ or σ-? Do they come with...
  13. I

    Optics question, can anyone confirm my answer?

    Homework Statement Two converging lenses of focal length=27cm are placed 16.5cm apart. If an object is placed 35cm in front of the first lens, where will the final image be produced? What will be the total magnification? Homework Equations 1/f=1/di+1/do do2=D-di1 M=-di/do The...
  14. M

    Should I Take Quantum Optics This Fall?

    I had a discussion with a professor and it was suggested that I take Quantum Optics this coming fall. I already have a full course load with 3 physics classes (Electrodynamics, Modern Physics (general), and math for physicists) and one required course (comparative religions). It was suggested...
  15. K

    Optics - Spectacles lens Power Estimation

    Hi, I'm Chaitanya, 4th year undergraduate student in biomedical engg. I have an idea of making a mobile phone application which measures the power of your spectacle glasses. The idea is we take an image with the phone's inbuilt camera. One of the spectacle lens will be held in front of the...
  16. Drakkith

    What Happens When You Play with a 3 Dollar Diffraction Grating?

    So I bought a 3 dollar diffraction grating and was playing around with it. Here's a few pictures I took just holding it up in front of my cell phone camera. Notice the bright lines in the spectrum that correspond to specific atomic transitions in the streetlight. The spectrum is dominated by...
  17. E

    Optics question-vacuum chamber for Ellipsometry

    I have shown a picture of our current ellipsometry setup. The sample is placed in the center. Polarized light comes in from the left barrel, reflects off the sample, and enters the barrel on the right. What I'm looking to build is a cover/chamber this that covers the sample but does not affect...
  18. E

    Optics question-Materials for vacuum chamber viewing ports

    Hi guys, I am interested in designing a chamber that is either purged with nitrogen gas or vacuum sealed that encloses a thin film sample. The method of analysis is via ellipsometry. (My knowledge of optics is extremely limited but know that ellipsometry measures some shift in polarization...
  19. Immersion

    Programing language for quantum mechanics, optics or plasma.

    Hi, I'm student of physics, i want to specialize in the areas of optics, quantum mechanics or plasma, but i want give an approach computational physics, therefore, my question is, which programing language is advisable for these areas of physics?. The options that most i read were fortran, C...
  20. B

    Optics/ the eye/ near, far-sightedness

    Hello all, I'm having trouble understanding the human eye and what the focal length has to do with where light converges. Why do we need a longer focal length to see distant objects and shorter to see near objects? Thank you
  21. J

    Optics - Finding Angular Size and Image Location

    1. 1. Homework Statement (SEE PIC given BELOW) A pencil is standing upright in front of a mirror at a distance of 20 cm from the surface. A variety of mirrors can be placed where the dotted box is located. The mirror may be either concave, flat or convex, based upon the following questions...
  22. C

    Source of optics problems and solutions?

    I am trying to teach myself optics out of the text by Sears, with some looks at Optics and Vision and a few other texts. I'm trying all the problems in Sears, and the answers to the odd problems are in the back. Unfortunately, I am getting a good fraction of the problems wrong. Sometimes it...
  23. P

    Create Stunning Optics Schemes with Our Software - Perfect for Academics

    Dear All, I am looking for a good software for drawing optics scheme(see examples below). I am wondering whether there is a software specially designed for this purpose. Whole my academic life, I was drawing optics schemes in Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Coral Draw. Examples:
  24. cryora

    Wave Optics (Interference due to reflection)

    Homework Statement A radio-wave transmitter and a receiver, separated by a distance d = 50.0m, are both h = 35.0m above the ground. The receiver can receive signals directly from the transmitter and indirectly from signals that reflect from the ground. Assume the ground is level between the...
  25. C

    Optics, Telescope magnification, missing data?

    Homework Statement From Optics by Frances Sears, 1949, Chapter 6, Problem 11: (I've been working all the problems in the book on my own.) A crude telescope is constructed of to spectacle lenses of focal lengths 100cm and 20cm respectively. (a) Find its angular magnification. (b) Find the...
  26. K

    Phase operator in quantum optics

    I recently got interested in some aspects of quantum optics and have a basic question. There is an uncertainty relation concerning the phase and the particle number of a mode. How is this phase observable defined? Where can I read about such basic concepts without dwelling deeply into higher...
  27. X

    Nonstandard Concave Mirror Optics, beyond the parabola.

    Why is the parabola the most bent, concave, effective mirror? What are some properties of a third order mirror (absolute value of x^3)? There is no uniform focal point. Shouldn't shining a light beam along a normal to the x-axis reflect off of the function multiple times? Then take this to the...
  28. D

    Physics undergrad to Optics grad

    I was wondering if there was any particular difficulty in going from a Physics undergraduate program to graduate program in Optics/Photonics. Let's say to an Optics college such as the one at UCF (http://www.creol.ucf.edu/) I still have my upper level Physics classes to take so is there any...
  29. B

    Optics problems - real vs, virtual / thin film

    Homework Statement 33. This experiment projects a red laser light beam of wavelength λ through a diffraction grating labeled 750 lines/mm onto a screen that is positioned a distance l from the diffraction grating. The diffraction grating has a distance d between adjacent lines. The...
  30. P

    Optics Terms: Definitions & Help

    Can you please help me find which terms match these definitions: 1. Reflection from a smooth surface in which the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. 2. Imaginary line perpendicular to the surface and serves as a reference line for angular measurement. 3. Straight...
  31. jbrussell93

    Optics: Physics vs. Engineering

    I am curious about the differences between optics in the fields of (Bio)engineering and physics. Mainly, I'm interested in finding out how the research differs between the two fields and which would be the best for an undergraduate who is interested in graduate school. From what I understand...
  32. S

    Projecting an Image in a Dark Room - Optics Question

    Hi guys, I have an optics question. I am running an activity for kids to simulate being inside a camera. So I am in a dark room, and I have a small hole in one of the doors which allows light in. An image comes in through the hole, and a magnifying glass can be used to focus this image, which...
  33. P

    Optics: Determining focal length for collimated beam

    Hello all. I am in the process of designing a mechanism for collimating laser diodes for a personal project. I don't have training in optics so I am stuck with this problem: I need to determine the focal length of a lens that can be used to collimate a laser beam with divergence 45 degrees...
  34. A

    Amplitude and energy relation in optics

    Hi Guys I have a very simple and basic question. Assume interface of two dielectric mediums. If the t is transmition cofficient for electricfield from medium 1 to medium 2 with refractive indexs n1 and n2, what is the transmitivity of power from medium 1 to medium 2? I know it is...
  35. G

    Quantum Optics Lab: Biting off more than I can Chew?

    So, I am a freshman signing up for classes next year. I have only taken Physics I - Mechanics, and I am done with Calc III, and I have the opportunity to take a lab course on quantum optics. I am obviously not very prepared, but I have been exposed to surface level quantum concepts quite a bit...
  36. S

    Infinity optics - position of tube lens

    Hi, I was hoping someone would be able to help me with a microscopy problem that has been puzzling me for a while. I'm building a basic microscope from scratch using a 50x long working distance Nikon objective (LU Plan ELWD, wd = 10.1mm, NA = 0.55). The sample is illuminated from above using...
  37. E

    Masters in Optics: Pros & Cons for Physics Majors

    Hi, I'm in my junior year as a physics major. I started out convinced that I wanted a Ph.D., but now I'm not so sure, so I've been looking around for interesting paths that don't involve one. I've run across the optics/optical engineering masters programs at URochester, UArizona, and a...
  38. P

    What Causes the Colors in Soap Bubbles?

    Homework Statement 1. A soap bubble is colored because of: a. dispersion b. diffraction c. thin film interference d. all of the above Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I don't understand the concepts very well...at first I though the answer was dispersion...
  39. N

    Geometric Optics: Speed of light and Reflection in a glass cube

    Homework Statement A large cube of glass has a metal reflector on one face and water on an adjoining face (the figure). A light beam strikes the reflector, as shown. You observe that as you gradually increase the angle of the light beam, if Theta is greater than 58.7 no light enters the water...
  40. N

    Quantum optics is a reference to a c-number

    quantum optics is a reference to a "c-number" Hi In my lecture notes on quantum optics is a reference to a "c-number" electric field, and it is stated that, since it is a c-number, there is no corresponding Hamiltonian. As far as I have understood, a c-number is a classical value of some...
  41. C

    Another sign convention issue (optics)

    I read through all of the previous sign convention posts on this forum (and googled a lot and checked a bunch of textbooks) before posting this question. I don't understand the sign convention properly for geometric optics. There are two conventions that I've understood so far, and I've got a...
  42. L

    Possible methods for measuring light absorption in optics experiment?

    So far my friends and I figured out that we will take a solution of chlorophyll, carotene and something else, then place it between white light and prism to see the spectrum on a screen. For a physical part of this experiment (there are also chemical and biological), we want to take photos of...
  43. C

    Optics - Reflection of image from a moving mirror

    Optics -- Reflection of image from a moving mirror I have a dufficult question which I couldn't find an answer to, yet: If I am standing in front of a mirror - I can see my image, naturally. Now, let's say that the mirror is actually a very long train and it moves parallel to me . And...
  44. ShayanJ

    Uncertainty principle in classical optics

    As you know,a pure sine wave extends infinitely in both directions and a wave which is the composition of some different frequencies,has a limited extent.Does it mean that such a wave is a pulse moving in space or it has limited range?(I know its crazy to talk about the range of light,but I've...
  45. P

    Calculate Microwave Frequency for Interference Pattern | Wave Optics Question

    Homework Statement a microwave source is placed behind two identical slits, as represented in the diagram above. The slit centers are separated by a distance of 0.20m, and the slit widths are small compared to the slit separation but NOT negligible. The microwave wavelength is 2.4X10^-2m. The...
  46. B

    Why do mirrors reflect light but white surfaces don't?

    Hi, today a question crossed my mind. I was thinking about mirrors and colors, why they exist and how does light interact with them. And I always heard that white is the mix of all colors, and that white reflects all the colors. It makes sense because one points a red light to a white wall, the...
  47. Darth Frodo

    How Does Lens Focal Length Affect Image Size on a Wall?

    [FONT="Arial Black"][SIZE="4"]Problem 1 A flat screen TV is place on a wall in a room. A lens of focal length 50cm is placed between the television and the opposite wall so that a sharp image with one quarter of that of the area of the television is produced on the opposite wall. Answer...
  48. S

    What Is the Focal Length and Magnification in Multi-Lens Systems?

    Homework Statement 1) I have five lenses with f=25 placed at distance 50 from each other, what is the focal length of this system? 2) A light source is placed in the focal point of a lens with f=50, at d=600 a lens with f=400 is placed, at the focal point of the second lens the image is...
  49. A

    Optics Instrumental with thins lens

    [FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Homework Statement In a thick lens, how we do to get the primary and secondary principal planes Homework Equations (1/Si)+(1/So)=1/f The Attempt at a Solution I tried to get to get that with the Newtonian equation
  50. H

    How to Derive Displacement Current and Energy Density in a Capacitor?

    Homework Statement Show that the displacement current density which flows when a parallel plate capacitor gets charged is ε(dE/dt) where ε is the permittivity of the medium between the capacitor. What is the energy density stored in the capacitor and the force per unit area (pressure) on the...
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