Measure the speed of light
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Explain how microwaves heat food using interference Explain how we can use chocolate to measure the speed of light…
Create your own camera obscura
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Explain how a pinhole produces an image Create your own camera obscura Introduction As we discussed very briefly in…
Polarisation
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Explain the difference between polarised and unpolarised light Explain the process of polarisation by transmission Explain the process of…
Create a blue sky at home
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Create a demonstration of polarisation by scattering Explain how polarisation by scattering works Introduction As a brief recap, in…
Wavefront aberrations and adaptive optics
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Define a wavefront aberration Explain how aberrations can affect the resultant image Explain a Zernike polynomial Understand how aberrometers…
Optical coherence tomography
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Explain what interference is and how it can be used to measure distances Explain what OCT stands for Explain…
Create a prism
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Explain why light can disperse through water if a mirror is introduced Explain dispersion Introduction Looking back over the…
Optical instruments and low vision aids
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Explain what an ‘optical instrument’ is Explain how cameras work Explain how Galilean, Keplerian and reflecting telescopes work Explain…
Photometry
Objectives After working through this chapter, you should be able to: Explain a solid angle Explain luminous flux, luminous intensity, illuminance and luminance Describe the two laws of illumination Explain…
