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  2. List of optics equations - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_optics_equations

    Visulization of flux through differential area and solid angle. As always ^ is the unit normal to the incident surface A, = ^, and ^ is a unit vector in the direction of incident flux on the area element, θ is the angle between them.

  3. Opticks - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opticks

    The books were a model of popular science exposition: although Newton's English is somewhat dated—he shows a fondness for lengthy sentences with much embedded qualifications—the book can still be easily understood by a modern reader. In contrast, few readers of Newton's time found the Principia accessible or even comprehensible. His formal ...

  4. Ray (optics) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_(optics)

    The principal ray or chief ray (sometimes known as the b ray) in an optical system is the meridional ray that starts at an edge of an object and passes through the center of the aperture stop. [ 5 ] [ 8 ] [ 7 ] The distance between the chief ray (or an extension of it for a virtual image) and the optical axis at an image location defines the ...

  5. Corpuscular theory of light - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpuscular_theory_of_light

    Newton's corpuscular theory was an elaboration of his view of reality as interactions of material points through forces. Note Albert Einstein's description of Newton's conception of physical reality: [Newton's] physical reality is characterised by concepts of space, time, the material point and force (interaction between material points).

  6. Geometrical optics - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometrical_optics

    Geometrical optics, or ray optics, is a model of optics that describes light propagation in terms of rays. The ray in geometrical optics is an abstraction useful for approximating the paths along which light propagates under certain circumstances. The simplifying assumptions of geometrical optics include that light rays:

  7. Snell's law - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snell's_law

    In optics, the law is used in ray tracing to compute the angles of incidence or refraction, and in experimental optics to find the refractive index of a material. The law is also satisfied in meta-materials, which allow light to be bent "backward" at a negative angle of refraction with a negative refractive index.

  8. Cardinal point (optics) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_point_(optics)

    In geometrical optics, for each object ray entering an optical system, a single and unique image ray exits from the system. In mathematical terms, the optical system performs a transformation that maps every object ray to an image ray. [1] The object ray and its associated image ray are said to be conjugate to each other. This term also applies ...

  9. Ray transfer matrix analysis - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_transfer_matrix_analysis

    Each optical element (surface, interface, mirror, or beam travel) is described by a 2 × 2 ray transfer matrix which operates on a vector describing an incoming light ray to calculate the outgoing ray. Multiplication of the successive matrices thus yields a concise ray transfer matrix describing the entire optical system.