PAUL FAHEY, PH.D., ST. THOMAS HALL 279
Email: faheyp1@uofs.edu
or faheyp1@scranton.edu
1.0 Course title and
description.
SEEING
THE LIGHT is a three credit lecture course designed for non-science majors.
Lectures and demonstrations are designed to describe and explain the properties
of light and light gathering and manipulating devices. The eye and the visual system will be given
special attention.
CATALOG
DESCRIPTION:
PHYS
103
Seeing the Light 3 credits
A one-semester course in the physics of light and vision. Includes topics such as physics of the human eye, the physics of telescopes, microscopes and cameras.
2.0 Course objectives.
ALL
STUDENTS WILL:
1.
Describe both the wave and geometrical properties of light and will
explain how light gathering and detecting devices utilize these
properties.
2.
Test the physical properties of light and the visual system with simple
experiments.
3.
Show that visual system has properties that vary from person to person
and will quantify some of this variance.
4.
Demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of optics and the
optical properties of living matter.
5.
Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of wave-particle
duality and the historical progress of the biophysics of the visual system.
6.
Demonstrate knowledge of afflictions of the visual system and
ameliorations of these afflictions.
3.0 Course topics (will
closely follow the text sequence of topics).
1. Fundamental properties of
light and waves and radiation (chapter 1).
2.
Principles of geometric optics--mirrors and lenses (chapter 2 and
chapter 3).
3.
A quick study of the camera and photography (chapter 4).
4.
The eye and the visual periphery (chapter 5).
5.
Image processing by the visual system (chapter 7 and chapter 8).
6. Color detection and
perception (chapter 9 and chapter 10).
7. Wave optics (chapter 12).
8. Scattering and polarization
(chapter 13).
9. Optical instruments and
holography and lasers (chapter 6 and chapter 14).
4.0 Assignments.
There will be three full period tests (Friday, September 16, Friday, October
14 and Friday, November 11) and a final exam.
The final exam will be equivalent to one and one half full period
tests. There will also be regular short
reading quizzes. The total of the
reading quizzes will be roughly the equivalent of a full period exam. There will also be rich opportunities to do
extra credit projects.
5.0 Evaluation.
A letter grade will be assigned that summarizes the performance on
tests, quizzes and extra credit projects.
6.0 Text.
SEEING THE LIGHT by D. Falk, D. Brill
and D. Stork. John
Wiley & Sons,
6.0 Prerequisites.
None.