Optics For Dummies

Get 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