PASCO OS-8500 INTRODUCTORY OPTICS SYSTEM - Manual (Page 7)

012-02744K Introductory Optics System
®
1
Introduction
In studying optics we change the focus of our attention.
We still gain our information by interacting with light that
has interacted with objects. But in studying optics we
want to know what our observations tell us, not about the
objects, but about light itself.
Before plunging into your experimental investigations of
optics, its a good idea to become familiar with the equip-
ment you will be using. The Equipment section of this
manual will help you identify each of the components
included with your optics system. The section entitled
Equipment Setup gives some useful tips for aligning the
optical equipment.
A vast and complicated amount of information comes to
us through our eyes. Because of this, the nature of light
plays a critical role in our experience. Certainly our view
of the world is colored (pun intended) by the nature of the
medium which brings us so much information about it.
In our day to day life, we rarely concern ourselves with
light, except perhaps when there is too much or not
enough of it. We interact with light that has interacted
with objects to determine such things as the color, shape,
and position of the objects. We use this information to
navigate, and to find what we want and what we wish to
avoid. But our attention is almost always on the objects,
not on the light that brings us the information.