What is Geometric Optics?
Geometric optics is the study of light propagation in terms of rays, disregarding its wave nature, to understand how light interacts with surfaces and objects. It provides a simplified framework for analyzing optical systems, making predictions about image formation, and designing devices like lenses and mirrors.
Fundamental Principles of Geometric Optics
In geometric optics, there are two basic rules:
- First, light moves in straight lines when it travels through something even like air or water.
- Second, if light goes back through the same stuff it came from, it goes back along the same path it took before.
Geometric Optics
Geometric optics is a branch of optics that focuses on the study of light as rays, without considering its wave nature. It deals with the behavior of light when it interacts with surfaces and boundaries, particularly in terms of reflection and refraction. Geometric optics is primarily concerned with the formation of images by optical elements such as lenses and mirrors and the principles governing their behavior.
In this article, we will learn in detail about geometric optics, optical instruments based on geometric optics, formulas and examples.
Table of Content
- What is Geometric Optics
- Laws of Geometric Optics
- Mirrors in Geometric Optics
- Lenses in Geometric Optics
- Ray Tracing in Geometric Optics
- Geometric Optics Formula