Introduction to imaging

Nature of science:

Deductive logic: The use of virtual images is essential for our analysis of lenses and mirrors. (1.6)

• Thin lenses
• Converging and diverging lenses
• Converging and diverging mirrors
• Ray diagrams
• Real and virtual images
• Linear and angular magnification
• Spherical and chromatic aberrations

Applications and skills:

• Describing how a curved transparent interface modifies the shape of an incident wavefront
• Identifying the principal axis, focal point and focal length of a simple converging or diverging lens on a scaled diagram
• Solving problems involving not more than two lenses by constructing scaled ray diagrams
• Solving problems involving not more than two curved mirrors by constructing scaled ray diagrams
• Solving problems involving the thin lens equation, linear magnification and angular magnification
• Explaining spherical and chromatic aberrations and describing ways to reduce their effects on images

• Optics is an ancient study encompassing development made in the early Greco-Roman and medieval Islamic worlds

Theory of knowledge:

• Could sign convention, using the symbols of positive and negative, emotionally influence scientists?

Utilization:

• Microscopes and telescopes
• Eyeglasses and contact lenses

Aims:

• Aim 3: the theories of optics, originating with human curiosity of our own senses, continue to be of great value in leading to new and useful technology
• Aim 6: experiments could include (but are not limited to): magnification determination using an optical bench; investigating real and virtual images formed by lenses; observing aberrations

• Students should treat the passage of light through lenses from the standpoint of both rays and wavefronts
• Curved mirrors are limited to spherical and parabolic converging mirrors and spherical diverging mirrors
• Only thin lenses are to be considered in this topic
• The lens-maker’s formula is not required
• Sign convention used in examinations will be based on real being positive (the “real-is-positive” convention)

Data booklet reference: