Synopses & Reviews
An illuminating exploration of optics and optical technologiesGet turned on to the study of light with this friendly guide to the world of optics. Discover how the fundamentals of optical technologies help brighten your everyday life — from the common table lamp to more complex devices such as cellphones, cameras, x-ray machines, 3-D TVs, and more. With the enlightening facts presented in this book, you'll never feel left in the dark in your optics course.
Optics that are high in fiber — get a grasp on the essentials behind fiber-optic cables for high-speed, long-distance communications
Making the world look like you want it to — learn how to calculate the location of an image and determine the image's characteristics
Shed light on light — find out how light allows you to see, transmit data, cut things, and control electrical circuits
Catch the waves — understand the wave property of light and how waves are used to see things you can't see with your naked eye
Lasers pointing here and there — discover the basic idea behind the laser and some of its uses in medicine and the military
Look far away from Earth — take a look at the different types of telescopes and what you can do with them
Open the book and find:
The differences among incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs and diodes
Tips for knowing what you can and can't see in CAT scans, PET scans, MRI scans, NMR scans, and x-ray pictures
Why you see things in 3-D
The principles for testing eyesight and prescribing corrective eyeglass lenses
The basic ideas involved in making a laser
The behavior and properties of visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light
Learn to:
Use optics principles and devices properly
Avoid common mistakes in working with typical optics problems
Determine image locations and characteristics with simple calculations
Grasp the basic concepts behind lasers and laser applications
Synopsis
The easy way to shed light on OpticsIn general terms, optics is the science of light. More specifically, optics is a branch of physics that describes the behavior and properties of light?including visible, infrared, and ultraviolet?and the interaction of light with matter.
Optics For Dummies gives you an approachable introduction to optical science, methods, and applications. You'll get plain-English explanations of the nature of light and optical effects; reflection, refraction, and diffraction; color dispersion; optical devices, industrial, medical, and military applications; as well as laser light fundamentals.
- Tracks a typical undergraduate optics course
- Detailed explanations of concepts and summaries of equations
- Valuable tips for study from college professors
If you're taking an optics course for your major in physics or engineering, let Optics For Dummies shed light on the subject and help you succeed!
About the Author
Galen Duree, Jr., PhD, is Professor of Physics and Optical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana, where he is also the Director of the Center for Applied Optics Studies. Duree jointly established the Ultrashort Pulse Laser Laboratory at RHIT and continues to work with the Navy.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1Part I: Getting Up to Speed on Optics Fundamentals 7
Chapter 1: Introducing Optics, the Science of Light 9
Chapter 2: Brushing Up on Optics-Related Math and Physics 15
Chapter 3: A Little Light Study: Reviewing Light Basics 31
Chapter 4: Understanding How to Direct Where Light Goes 45
Part II: Geometrical Optics: Working with More Than One Ray 57
Chapter 5: Forming Images with Multiple Rays of Light 59
Chapter 6: Imaging with Mirrors: Bouncing Many Rays Around 69
Chapter 7: Imaging with Refraction: Bending Many Rays at the Same Time 77
Part III: Physical Optics: Using the Light Wave 95
Chapter 8: Optical Polarization: Describing the Wiggling Electric Field in Light 97
Chapter 9: Changing Optical Polarization 113
Chapter 10: Calculating Refl ected and Transmitted Light with Fresnel Equations 131
Chapter 11: Running Optical Interference: Not Always a Bad Thing 143
Chapter 12: Diffraction: Light’s Bending around Obstacles 161
Part IV: Optical Instrumentation: Putting Light to Practical Use 179
Chapter 13: Lens Systems: Looking at Things the Way You Want to See Them 181
Chapter 14: Exploring Light Sources: Getting Light Where You Want It 197
Chapter 15: Guiding Light From Here to Anywhere 213
Part V: Hybrids: Exploring More Complicated Optical Systems 227
Chapter 16: Photography: Keeping an Image Forever 229
Chapter 17: Medical Imaging: Seeing What’s Inside You (No Knives Necessary!) 247
Chapter 18: Optics Everywhere: Exploring Other Medical, Industrial, and Military Uses 259
Chapter 19: Astronomical Applications: Using Telescopes 271
Part VI: More Than Just Images: Getting into Advanced Optics 285
Chapter 20: Index of Refraction, Part 2: You Can Change It! 287
Chapter 21: Quantum Optics: Finding the Photon 301
Part VII: The Part of Tens 311
Chapter 22: Ten Experiments You Can Do Without a $1-Million Optics Lab 313
Chapter 23: Ten Major Optics Discoveries — and the People Who Made them Possible 319
Index 325