Optics and Light Physics

Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it.

The two main models used in practical optics are geometric optics and physical optics.

Some electromagnetic radiations that exhibit similar properties to light include X-rays, microwaves, and radio waves.

<p>Progress in electromagnetic theory in the 19th century led to the discovery that light waves were in fact electromagnetic radiation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Geometric optics treats light as a collection of rays that travel in straight lines and bend when they pass through or reflect from surfaces, while physical optics includes wave effects such as diffraction and interference that cannot be accounted for in geometric optics.</p> Signup and view all the answers