Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Prism (optics) An optical prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that are designed to refract light. At least one surface must be angled — elements with two parallel surfaces are not prisms. The most familiar type of optical prism is the triangular prism, which has a triangular base and rectangular sides.
In optics, a dispersive prism is an optical prism that is used to disperse light, that is, to separate light into its spectral components (the colors of the rainbow ). Different wavelengths (colors) of light will be deflected by the prism at different angles. [1] This is a result of the prism material's index of refraction varying with wavelength (dispersion). Generally, longer wavelengths ...
For lenses (such as eye glasses ), a lens made from a high refractive index material will be thinner, and hence lighter, than a conventional lens with a lower refractive index. Such lenses are generally more expensive to manufacture than conventional ones.
An optical telescope's ability to resolve small details is directly related to the diameter (or aperture) of its objective (the primary lens or mirror that collects and focuses the light), and its light-gathering power is related to the area of the objective. The larger the objective, the more light the telescope collects and the finer detail ...
A prism transom bends light passing through the upper part of the window upwards. Prism lighting is the use of prisms to improve the distribution of light in a space. It is usually used to distribute daylight, and is a form of anidolic lighting . Prism lighting was popular from its introduction in the 1890s through to the 1930s, when cheap ...
The Fresnel lens is useful in the making of motion pictures not only because of its ability to focus the beam brighter than a typical lens, but also because the light is a relatively consistent intensity across the entire width of the beam of light.
Roof prism designs allow a simpler exterior, and are now common but they are more expensive to produce. Complicating production requirements make high-quality roof prism design binoculars relatively costly to produce compared to in optical quality equivalent Porro prism binoculars.
Material dispersion can be a desirable or undesirable effect in optical applications. The dispersion of light by glass prisms is used to construct spectrometers and spectroradiometers. However, in lenses, dispersion causes chromatic aberration, an undesired effect that may degrade images in microscopes, telescopes, and photographic objectives.
An optical coating is one or more thin layers of material deposited on an optical component such as a lens, prism or mirror, which alters the way in which the optic reflects and transmits light. These coatings have become a key technology in the field of optics. One type of optical coating is an anti-reflective coating, which reduces unwanted reflections from surfaces, and is commonly used on ...
Prism correction is measured in prism dioptres. A prescription that specifies prism correction will also specify the "base". The base is the thickest part of the lens and is opposite from the apex. Light will be bent towards the base and the image will be shifted towards the apex. In an eyeglass prescription, the base is typically specified as up, down, in, or out, but left and right are also ...
