Interactive lab that deals with various physics topics: classical mechanics, optics, and thermodynamics.

A collection of information on the science of light and optics. Features a wide variety of resources: key events in history, reference materials, multimedia links, optical illusion activities, glossary of optics terms, and information on...

This site boasts an extensive list of physics animations that cover topics such as electricity, magnetism, quantum mechanics, and relativity. Variables can be manipulated for each demonstration.

This digital textbook covers core physics concepts and includes interactive features, real world examples, videos, and study guides.

A video lecture series illustrating the fundamentals of laseroptics. Topics include the physical interpretation of laser and fiberoptic phenomena and their applications.

This site from the University of Maryland provides part of an anecdotal history of optics and the study of light. Extremely thorough treatment of how scientists came to believe in the wave nature of light, the idea of an electromagnetic...

This physics department site provides a definition and explanation of the phenomenon of total internal reflection. Includes a diagram and an equation for calculating the critical angle for light approaching a surface.

This site from Georgia State University is an indexing page for several other pages on the topic of reflection. Topics are treated in an understandable manner and utilize meaningful graphics.

Link to nine major physics topics and dig deeper into the content. Find out about the work of scientists in each field and see example physical science experiments.

The official website of SPIE, a professional organization for optical engineers. Contains links to career information, news about the industry, a technical library, and much more.

Provides a discussion of curved mirrors and ray diagrams. Shows and explains the process of drawing a ray diagram to determine the image location, size, and orientation.

This tutorial looks at the anatomy of the eye and how the sense of sight works. This is the first part of a learning module. Subsequent sections cover how images are formed and detected, the concept of accommodation where the eye adjusts...

The phenomenon of light dispersion is explained with a formula and a practice form for calculating Abbe's number.

A discussion of the lens-maker's formula and its use in determining the effect of lens shape and index of refraction upon the magnifying power of a lens. Includes an interactive problem-solving section.

The meaning and cause of refraction--as well as Snell's law of refraction--are discussed. Includes an interactive problem-solving form in which visitors relate angles of refraction to the incident angle and the indices of refraction.

This article from Khan Academy provides information about refraction and light bending. This information is intended for the Class 12 Physics Course (India).

Biography of Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), a scientist whose impact is felt in many disciplines today. His laws of motion are integral to basic physics, and he co-invented calculus.

Find out about the physics behind those fun-house mirrors. Students manipulate a virtual optics bench to explore the images formed by mirrors and lenses.

This site from the Nobel eMuseum provides great information on Arthur Holly Compton. The information is provided by links, ranging from a biography to the presentation speech, along with the nobel lecture and other resources.

Learn about the diffraction of light using the wave model and Huygen's principle.

Site studies light refraction and provides illustrations several illustration. Contains links to Snell's Law, lenses, ray optics, light and much more.

This ScienceWorld site describes the Scottish mathematician and physicist James Maxwell (1831-1879) who published physical and mathematical theories of the electromagnetic field.

The law of reflection is discussed and explained, accompanied by an animation depicting this law. Includes a list of links to detailed information about certain types of reflections.

Scroll down to Lesson 2 for a tutorial on image formation in plane mirrors. The tutorial from Glenbrook South High School provides lessons on why and how an image is formed, image characteristics for plane mirrors, ray diagrams, plus more.