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  2. Geometrical optics - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometrical_optics

    A light ray is a line or curve that is perpendicular to the light's wavefronts (and is therefore collinear with the wave vector). A slightly more rigorous definition of a light ray follows from Fermat's principle, which states that the path taken between two points by a ray of light is the path that can be traversed in the least time. [1]

  3. Cauchy's equation - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauchy's_equation

    In optics, Cauchy's transmission equation is an empirical relationship between the refractive index and wavelength of light for a particular transparent material. It is named for the mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy, who originally defined it in 1830 in his article "The refraction and reflection of light". [1]

  4. Hamiltonian optics - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamiltonian_optics

    Coordinate x B and the horizontal coordinate p 1C of momentum p C completely define ray r C as it crosses axis x 1. This ray may then be defined by a point r C =(x B,p 1C) in space x 1 p 1 as shown at the bottom of the figure. Space x 1 p 1 is called phase space and different light rays may be represented by different points in this space.

  5. Caustic (mathematics) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caustic_(mathematics)

    Reflective caustic generated from a circle and parallel rays. On one side, each point is contained in three light rays; on the other side, each point is contained in one light ray. In differential geometry, a caustic is the envelope of rays either reflected or refracted by a manifold. It is related to the concept of caustics in geometric optics ...

  6. Bidirectional reflectance distribution function - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidirectional_reflectance...

    Diagram showing vectors used to define the BRDF. All vectors are unit length. points toward the light source. points toward the viewer (camera). is the surface normal.. The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), symbol (,), is a function of four real variables that defines how light from a source is reflected off an opaque surface. It is employed in the optics of real-world ...

  7. Angle of incidence (optics) - Wikipedia

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

    The ray can be formed by any waves, such as optical, acoustic, microwave, and X-ray. In the figure below, the line representing a ray makes an angle θ with the normal (dotted line). The angle of incidence at which light is first totally internally reflected is known as the critical angle.

  8. 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 ...

  9. Raoult's law - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raoult's_law

    Raoult's law (/ ˈ r ɑː uː l z / law) is a relation of physical chemistry, with implications in thermodynamics.Proposed by French chemist François-Marie Raoult in 1887, [1] [2] it states that the partial pressure of each component of an ideal mixture of liquids is equal to the vapor pressure of the pure component (liquid or solid) multiplied by its mole fraction in the mixture.