2: Physical Optics

Physics 9HC: Introduction to Waves, Physical Optics, and Quantum Theory · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-SA 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    • 2.1: Light as a Wave
      Light exhibits wave nature, though it does so in a manner very different from mechanical waves.
    • 2.2: Double-Slit Interference
      By allowing a single source of light to be divided into two parts with the use of two thin slits in a screen, we turn one source into two, and the resulting waves can then be made to interfere with each other, resulting in a static pattern.
    • 2.3: Diffraction Gratings
      If an interference pattern is the result of two slits, what is the effect of adding many more? We will explore this here.
    • 2.4: Single-Slit Diffraction
      Experimentation reveals that an interference pattern occurs when light passes through a single slit. How can interference occur with what appears to be only a single source? We will answer this question in this section.
    • 2.5: Reflection and Refraction
      In this section we explore two phenomena that result from a light wave encountering a boundary between two different media.
    • 2.6: Polarization
      Transverse waves in three dimensions like light have a degree of freedom related to the plane into which the transverse "displacement" occurs. For light in particular this leads to interesting phenomena.

    This page titled 2: Physical Optics was last modified on Tue, 26 Mar 2024 21:54:42 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Tom Weideman.