Let there be light : the story of light from atoms to galaxies / Ann Breslin & Alex Montwill.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Breslin, Ann.

Contributor:

Montwill, Alex.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Light--Popular works.

Light.

Electromagnetic waves.

Physics--History.

Physics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (552 p.)

Edition:

2nd ed.

Place of Publication:

London : Imperial College Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book is the first of its kind devoted to the key role played by light and electromagnetic radiation in the universe. Readers are introduced to philosophical hypotheses such as the economy, symmetry and the universality of natural laws, and are then guided to practical consequences such as the rules of geometrical optics and even Einstein's well-known but mysterious relationship, E = mc2. Most chapters feature a pen picture of the life and character of a relevant scientific figure. These 'Historical Interludes' include, among others, Galileo's conflicts with the Inquisition, Fourier's taun

Contents:

Preface to the Second Edition; Preface to the First Edition; Acknowledgements; Contents; Chapter 1 Introducing Light; 1.1 The perception of light through the ages; The ancient Greeks; The middle ages; 1.2 Colours; The visible spectrum; 1.3 Measuring the speed of light; The astronomical method; Terrestrial measurement; The speed of light in context; 1.4 The process of vision; 'Look and see'; The journey of a photon; The eye is like a digital camera; Two computers - the back of the eye and the brain; Reconstructing the object; Why is the grass green?; Seeing in the dark; The branches of optics

1.5 The nature of lightContradictory evidence; Light as a wave; Maxwell's electromagnetic waves; James Clerk Maxwell; Light as a particle; An illustration of duality?; 1.6 The birth of quantum mechanics; Particles have wave properties; The Copenhagen interpretation; The universal messenger; Chapter 2 Light as a Ray: Reflection; The quickest route; 2.1 Fermat's principle; Light takes the quickest route; The path in empty space; The quickest path via a reflection; The law of reflection; 2.2 Mirrors; A plane mirror; Reversal from left to right; Reflection from a curved and uneven surface

A spherical concave mirrorApplications of concave mirrors; Reflecting telescope; The 'death rays' of Archimedes; A historical interlude: Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665); Chapter 3 Light as a Ray: Refraction; Providing more than one quickest route; Making visible things we cannot see; 3.1 Refraction; The refractive index; The lifeguard problem; Snell's law; The reverse journey; Apparent depth; The dilemma faced by light trying to leave glass; Practical applications of total internal reflection; Light pipes and optical fibres; Freedom of choice when a ray meets a boundary; The 'shop window effect'

The mystery'The photon decides'; A practical puzzle - two-way mirrors; 3.2 Lenses; The function of a lens; Converging lenses; Diverging lenses; Fermat's principle applied to lenses; 3.3 Objects and images: converging lenses; Ray tracing through a thin lens; Principal rays (thin lenses); The lens equation; Symmetry; Breaking the symmetry; An intuitive approach - the task of a lens; Masking a lens; 3.4 Objects and images: diverging lenses; 3.5 Lens combinations; Lenses in contact; The power of a lens; 3.6 The eye; The structure of the eye; Accommodation; Common eye defects

Myopia (short-sightedness)Hypermetropia (long-sightedness); Presbyopia; Astigmatism; 3.7 Making visible what the eye cannot see; Distant objects; Nearer but not clearer; Angular magnification; The simple magnifier; 3.8 Combinations of lenses; Compound microscopes; Telescopes; 3.9 A final note on Fermat's principle; The pioneers of generalized classical mechanics; Chapter 4 Light from Afar - Astronomy; When light reaches us after a long, long journey; 4.1 The earth; Is the earth round?; Philosophical reasons why the earth should be round; General intuition - Zhang-Heng

Experimental evidence that the earth is round

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781848167605

1848167601

9781299133297

1299133290

OCLC:

829461332