LIGHT & OPTICS · LAB 19

Ray optics laboratory

Build an optical bench and explore reflection, refraction, focusing, image formation and dispersion.

RAY TRACERRUNNING

ADD

Drag components to move them · click to select · Delete removes the selection

IncidentRefractedVirtual

INCIDENCE—

to surface normal

REFRACTION—

n₁ → n₂

CRITICAL ANGLE—

for n₂ = air

IMAGE—

select a lens

MAGNIFICATION—

—

OPTICAL PRINCIPLES

Follow the rays

Reflection preserves the angle to the normal. Refraction changes direction when light changes speed. Converging elements can form real images; diverging elements produce virtual images. A prism bends colours by slightly different amounts.

θᵢ = θᵣn₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂1/f = 1/dₒ + 1/dᵢ

Educational ray models use thin-lens and simplified surface approximations.