Lecture 15 Ray Optics Chapter 23 PHYSICS 270 Dennis Papadopoulos March 9, 2010
Wave vs. Ray Model nm
Ray Optics Line of sight Self Luminous vs. Reflected
Important Concepts
Pictorial Representation - Ray Diagrams
Apertures – Camera Obscura
A long, thin light bulb illuminates a vertical aperture. Which pattern of light do you see on a viewing screen behind the aperture?
Light spreads horizontally due to different parts of the lightbulb Light spreads vertically as it goes through the vertical aperture
The Plane Mirror – Virtual Image Reflected rays coming from point P’ – The Virtual; Image Point – s=s’
Two plane mirrors form a right angle. How many images of the ball can you see in the mirrors? A.1 B.2 C.3 D.4
A.1 B.2 C.3 D.4 Two plane mirrors form a right angle. How many images of the ball can you see in the mirrors?
Image Formation Object point (P,Q) maps to Virtual Image point (P’,Q’) : Rule
Index of Refraction Phase of wave rotates faster in materials than in vacuum
Reflection and Refraction Ptolemy 140 AD Snell 1621 sin i n sin r Snell’s law allow us to predict how light is going to bend in going fro air to water n=1.5 Is there a way of thinking that makes this evident and proves its generality -> Fermat
Fermat’s Principle of Least Time Of all possible paths that light takes to get from one point to another light takes the path that corresponds to the shortest time AEB=AEB’ Shortest length from A to B after hitting the mirror is the one that goes as a straight line from A to B’, i.e. ACB’. Notice that ACB has equal incidence and reflection angles Angle BCF=Angle B’CF= Angle DCA
Fermat’s Principle for Refraction Snell’s law rr The slower the medium the smaller the refraction angle