Optics For Dummies

Part 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