Phys 105:
N/Nature of Light & Color

The evolution of our understanding of the nature of light will be presented, from Newton's corpuscles to Maxwell's electromagnetic waves to the modern view of wave-particle duality. Along the way, many optical phenomena will be investigated in lecture demonstrations and in the laboratory, including lenses, prisms, rainbows, photography, interference, diffraction, the photoelectric effect, and atomic spectra. Simple algebra, trigonometry and geometry will be employed. Cannot be counted toward the physics major. (Not open to students with prior credit for physics courses numbered PHYS 113 or higher.) Offered every spring

Phys 388:
Experimental:

This course will explore multiple descriptions of light leading to an exploration of modern applications of optics. Models of light explored will include physical optics, geometric optics and Gaussian beam optics. Some of the applications discussed will include imaging, fiber optics, lasers and non-linear optics. Prerequisites: PHYS 223 and PHYS 228 or permission of the instructor. Credits: 3(3-0)