University of St Andrews
School of Physics and Astronomy

Introduction, and course overview

Topics in lectures

1. What is light, and how is it generated? 
2. Ray optics including rainbows
3. Imaging 
4. Geometrical Optics I
5. Geometrical Optics II
6. Oscillations
7. Oscillations and travelling waves
8. Travelling waves
9. Standing waves
10. Two-beam interference: Young's slits, and algebra
11. Phasor description of two-beam interference
12. Michelson interferometer and thin film interference
13. Multiple beam interference:  the diffraction grating

Tutorial Material

This is normally accessed through the "topics in lectures" above.  In general, you should be able to attempt tutorial questions 1.x after topic one, and so on.  Tutors and tutees are asked to agree what time delay should be allowed between the work being covered in the lectures and having the tutorial questions attempted for the tutorial.   Corrections to tutorial sheets

Computer Based Simulations

The Java interactive demonstrations listed in the lecture summaries should be able to be accessed from most computers running a modern broswer.  The more substantial simulations referred to in the electronic tutorial sheets are available only from networked PCs in this School, due to software and licensing requirements.  These more substantial simulations are also available directly from the Start menu of the PCs in our PC classroom.  Your handouts contains information on how to use the machines and the simulations.

Thought Provocation

In the lectures I pose a number of questions, some of which are adapted from some of those in Lewis Carroll Epstein's book "Thinking Physics".  He has asked that in return for his persmission to use this material, I provide a link here to his website.

  Disclaimer

I provide this material in good faith, but there will be typos and possibly other errors within.  Please let me know of any mistakes that you find in these pages.    The lecture timetable above and what actually happens may get slightly out of step.  Printing out these web pages is not a substitute for coming to the lectures, thinking about the material, reading your text books, and doing your tutorial sheets.   But I hope the material here is helpful. 

Comments, corrections, etc emailed to me please at b.d.sinclair@st-andrews.ac.uk