LibGuides: Optics (including OPT, OPE, and OSE): Basic Concepts

Subject Guide

Email Me

Contact:

Phone: 256-824-6432

Subjects: Atmospheric Science, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth System Science, Material Science (Includes Engineering & Science), Mathematics, Optics (Includes Engineering & Science), Physics, Science, Space Science

Web Services & Reference Assistant

Doug Bolden

He/Him

Email Me

Contact:

LIB119

(256)824.2179

Subjects: Copyright, Information Literacy

Subject Guide

Ron Schwertfeger

he / him / his

Email Me

Contact:

Instruction, Outreach and Assessment Librarian

Office: Library 118

256.824.6713

Subjects: Biotechnology Science & Engineering, Chemical & Materials Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Engineering, Global Studies, Information Literacy, ISEEM (Industrial & Systems Engineering & Engineering Management), Material Science (Includes Engineering & Science), Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Optics (Includes Engineering & Science)

Basic Concepts - Optics

Diffraction: Topic Page
Bending of waves around the edge of an obstacle. When light strikes an opaque body, for instance, a shadow forms on the side of the body that is shielded from the light source. Ordinarily light travels in straight lines through a uniform, transparent medium, but those light waves that just pass the edges of the opaque body are bent, or deflected.
Light: Topic Page
Visible electromagnetic radiation. Of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, the human eye is sensitive to only a tiny part, the part that is called light. The wavelengths of visible light range from about 350 or 400 nm to about 750 or 800 nm.
Optics: Topic Page
The study of light and of instruments using light. The subject has a long history. Mirrors were used by the ancient Egyptians c.2000 BC, and Greek philosophers developed simple theories of light (the law of reflection being stated by Euclid in 300 BC).
Reflection: Topic Page
Return of a wave from a surface that it strikes into the medium through which it has traveled. The general principles governing the reflection of light and sound are similar, for both normally travel in straight lines and both are wave phenomena.
Refraction: Topic Page
In physics, deflection of a wave on passing obliquely from one transparent medium into a second medium in which its speed is different, as the passage of a light ray from air into glass. Other forms of electromagnetic radiation, in addition to light waves, can be refracted, as can sound waves.
Spectrum: Topic Page
Arrangement or display of light or other form of radiation separated according to wavelength, frequency, energy, or some other property. Beams of charged particles can be separated into a spectrum according to mass in a mass spectrometer.

Acknowledgements

Throughout this UAH Library subject guide page for Optics, content and inspiration came from several different sources.

Within this page for Basic Concepts, credit for the above information goes to the Credo Online Reference Service:

Credo Reference. (2020). Libguides: Physics: Optics, Magnetism, & Electricity. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from credoreference.libguides.com/c.php?g=139772&p=915446.

Research Help Desk | 256.824.6529

Monday - Friday	9:00am	- 5:00pm
Saturday	CLOSED
Sunday	12:00pm	- 9:00pm

The best way to reach us outside of those hours is at refdesk@uah.edu
For in-depth help, request a 1-on-1 Research Consultation to speak with a librarian on a preferred day and time (generally in the same Mon-Fri 9am-5pm range, though exceptions might be possible). We have a variety of tools (including Zoom and Google Hangouts) for "face to face" video conferencing.