This program traces light rays through
selected lenses. See HERE for the full
write up.
Below you should see the ray trace applet.
Otherwise reconfigure your browser.
Background -- How it works
-
Mark the point being imaged with a dot on
your figure. Using a color that approximates the wavelength you're using
would be a nice touch.
-
Draw the lens surfaces being simulated (at
least 2 surfaces, each either a section of a circle or a plane)
-
Repeat the following for a sufficient number
of rays to illustrate the point without making the diagram too cluttered.
-
Draw a line from the point being imaged to
the first surface.
-
Work out the new direction of the line from
the diffraction equations and draw the line to the second surface
-
Work out the new direction and draw a line
for a sufficient distance beyond the lens to illustrate the point.
Source code (one big
hack)