UNIT 1: Nature of Light

Describe an electromagnetic  wave
Describe the UV, visible and IR spectra in  terms of wavelength and frequency
Describe the absorption and emission of  photons by atoms
Calculate the wavelength, frequency and  energy of a photons
Observe and explain the main features of  the spectra of several types of light source

UNIT 2: Geometric Optics

Define what we mean by a "ray" of light
State the law of reflection and use it to solve problems involving plane mirrors
Define the index of refraction
Explain the relationship between wavelength and index of refraction (dispersion)
Explain the concept of refraction and what causes it
Use Snell's law to calculate index of refraction and refraction angle
Calculate critical angle at a dielectric interface and explain what it means
Describe the principle of total internal reflection (TIR) and give some examples

UNIT 3: Thin Lenses and the Thin Lens Equation

Explain the difference between thick and thin lenses
Describe and name diverging and converging lens shapes
Correctly use the sign convention for spherical surfaces
Use the Lensmakers formula to calculate focal length and power of a lens
Apply the Cartesian sign convention to lens problems
Solve simple object-image problems for a single thin lens using ray tracing
Use the thin lens equation to determine image and object distance or focal length
Determine the magnification and image size for a lens problem
Determine the character of an image: real/virtual, upright/inverted