Atomic/Molecular/Optical Physics

Latest Feature Articles


 		Optics & Physics of Metamaterials & Invisibility
Physicists doing research in optics and metamaterials may someday move invisibility cloaking from the realm of fantasy and magic to the realm of science and technology.
Can Hubble Space Telescope See Flag on the Moon?
Basic physics provides a formula for calculating the smallest detail the Hubble Space Telescope can resolve on the surface of the Moon. It is larger than a flag.
Obama Taps Steven Chu, Physics Nobel Laureate
Barack Obama's designated energy secretary shared the 1997 Nobel prize in physics. What is the science behind Chu's Nobel prize in physics?
Dispersion & Refraction in Optics
When white light passes through a prism it spreads out into all the colors of the rainbow. Physics tells us this results from refraction and dispersion.
Optics & Total Internal Reflection
Total internal reflection is the fundamental physics principle behind rainbows, the brilliance of diamonds, fiber optic cables, and other technologies.
Reflection of Light in Optics
When light is reflected the incident and reflected angles are equal. Specular reflection is from a smooth surface, and diffuse reflection from a rough surface.
Refraction of Light
In optics, Snell's law of refraction tells us that light is refracted, or bent, when it passes from one medium to another.
Early Theories of Atomic Structure
J. J. Thomson and Ernest Rutherford pioneered studies of atomic structure, but their early models of the structure of the atom had serious flaws.
Bohr's Model of the Atom
The Bohr model of the atom was a major leap forward in our understanding of atomic structure and quantum mechanics, but it was not the final answer.
What Are Electromagnetic Waves?
Visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light as well as X-rays and all types of radio waves are types of electromagnetic waves or electromagnetic radiation.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
What is the electromagnetic spectrum? It consists of all types of electromagnetic waves, including radio waves, X & gamma rays, & visible, ultraviolet, & infrared light.
Why Are Sunsets and Sunrises Red?
Small particles in the atmosphere scattering light cause both sunsets and sunrises to be red.
Why Is the Sky Blue?
Small particles in the atmosphere scattering light cause the blue sky.