Resources: The Optics Files - Using Mirrors and Lenses
- Molecular Expressions™ Science, Optics & You Interactive
Java Tutorials:
- Optical
Light Bench (focus, focus, focus!)
- Angles
of Reflection
- Refraction
of Light
- Diffraction
of Light Point of Focus: This applet may be used to explain
observations using a diffraction grating. The applet shows what happens
when white light is diffracted. There will be two continuous spectra: one
visible on the right; one on the left. The spectrum on the right shows
VIBGYOR, from left-to-right (same order as scale printed on diffraction
grating); the one on the left shows ROYGBIV, from left-to-right. Violet
light has a wavelength of ~400 nm (~4,000 ångströms); red light
has a wavelength of ~700 nm (~7,000 ångströms).
Note: 1 nanometer equals 1.0 x
10-9 meter [0.000 000 001 m (a billionth of a
meter), or 0.000 000 1 cm]. 1 nanometer (nm) equals 10
ångströms (Å).
- What is a
laser? (from NASA, The Space Place) ["The Spectacular Spectrum,"
"Application," p. 49, Question No. 7]