10. Lens Basics

In the following text you are going to be introduced to the main concepts (in English, of course) related to lenses. The goal of the text is not for you to get to know the logic of lenses (you surely know about it!). Its aims is for you to get acquainted to the English terms related to lenses. Please, read it carefully!

Once you have read (and understood) the text, here are two tasks which you might carry out with the help of Donald Simanek's web page.

The first task consists in giving answers to the questions listed in this document.

The second task consists in making up a PowerPoint presentation explaining the main concepts of the physics of lenses, giving visual examples whenever possible.

Have a nice time!

9. Lighting Basics Tutorial - Three Point Lighting

Here you have a video on lighting: the three-point lighting system.

Please, carefully watch this clip and try to answer the questions listed in this file!

8. Glossary of lighting terms

If you click on the corresponding link, you'll be able to get a file containing a glossary of lighting terms used by videographers. Could you try to translate them?

In class, you will be given an explanation  of the terms (in English, of course!) so that you can comprehend their meaning.

Following the glossary of lighting terms, a list of 'difficult' words (together with their Catalan translation) has been added so that you find  this task a little easier!

7. Colours: Physics and Biology

What is the nature of colours?
If you watch the followintg video, you will get a clear idea of the nature of colours. As you will see, colours can't be explained only on the basis of the physics of light;  biology is needed for a correct understanding of how colours are preceived.
After watching the video clip, please try to complete the two tasks which are included in this file.

6. On the Nature of Light: the Two-Slit experiment

To put an end to our investigation on the nature of light, we are going to take a quick look at one of the most important experiments in the history of physics: the two-slit experiment.

This experiment was first conceived by T. Young in 1801. It was thought to prove that light is a wave. However, at the beginning of the XXth century, with the arrival of Quantum Mechanics, the same experiment revealed that light (in fact, any kind of matter) is neither a particle nor a wave (or perhaps it is both of them at the same time!).

Please, watch the video you will find on this link and afterwards identify its main parts and its conclusion (the following link will help you understand the nature of 'quantum objects') .

5. What is light? A chronology of the concept of light.

Timeline  n.

a. A chronology.

b. A representation or exhibit of key events within a particular historical period, often consisting of illustrative visual material accompanied by written commentary, arranged chronologically.

The preceding lines belong to an English dictionary definition of the term 'timeline'.

Based the following text (An Introduction to Optics) and using any kind of tool you may find suited to your purpose (including web-based timeline software), could you try to create the chronology of the concept of light throughout history?

Perhaps you could proceed as follows:

First, read the text from beginning to end.
Then, look up the words you don't understand using an online dictionary (http://www.wordreference.com/). Read the whole text again.
Afterwards, try to make a (handwritten) sketch of what your timeline should look like.
Finally, use the web-based timeline software you have chosen to create a chronology of the concept of light.

Feel free to enlarge the information given by the text with any events you consider important to understand the history of light. 

(And don't forget to upload your final product to your blog!!!)

4. What are waves?

With the help of this video clip, could you try to answer the following (basic) questions on waves?

1. What are waves?

2. What are mechanical waves?

3. Why can waves propagate?

4. In the 'spring model', what do the springs represent?

5. Can you specify two different types of mechanical waves?

6. Can you define both kinds of waves?

7. What is 'inertia'?

8. What kind of particles tend to have more inertia?

9. In longitudinal waves, are the particles of the medium carried along by the propagating waves?

10. In longitudinal waves, why don't the particles of the medium move at the same time?