4.Main Content
Optics
Introduction
Optics provides lots of practical opportunities for students, most of which require a limited range of simple equipment. But successful learning requires a logical teaching approach, with experiments that work and can be seen to work.
The experiments we offer progress from an introduction to rays and images, to the more complex arrangements in optical instruments, and an introduction to colour and spectra.
You will need to practise with your equipment, which may differ both in construction and optical properties from that described. Home made equipment can be used, although with ‘ray’ experiments, it is necessary to ensure that clean straight rays are achieved.
Image courtesy of Jim Jardine. A kettle of water being boiled using a curved mirror and focused sunlight.
Experiment collections
- Introduction to rays and images
- Pinhole camera and lens camera
- Investigations with ray streaks
- Reflection of light
- Refraction of light
- Optical instruments
- The eye
- Spectra and colour
Guidance
- From pinhole camera to lens camera
- Ray streaks and ray diagrams: some cautions
- Teaching ray optics
- Ray box or lamp?
- The electromagnetic spectrum
- Learning from spectra
- About telescope lenses
- The longitudinal lens formula and sign conventions
- Using a model telescope
- Dissectible model eye
Updated 22 Oct 2008
End of Section Back to top