Magnifying Visors

What is the difference between physical and geometric optics?

Public Comments

1. I'm over simplifying but physical optics is referring to effects on light due to the size of the object causing the effect being on a scale near the wavelength of light, eg diffraction in a very small slit, diffusion round a ball bearing causing a frensel bright spot. it is taking into account the wave nature of light and moving away from considering it as a perfectly straight ray. geometrical optics is caused by bending of light as it passes from one medium to the next, and can occur on a macro scale, eg a telescope lens focusing light. the two fields are closely related eg a telescope lenses minimum theoretical resolution angle is limited by the diffraction through a slit effect, which is a physical effect, while the level of magnification is explained in geometrical optic