Light Ray Diagrams?

[vayntraubinator]

Anyone see any of these questions on recent Passages? It's on the topics for AAMC

Honestly learned to do this once in University Physics, but found it a lot easier to just plug in the equations with a general concept of what mirrors/lenses form what.

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[trypanosomiasis]

The way you do it is easier in my opinion.

If the MCAT gave you points for drawing pretty pictures, sure, I'd waste time on ray diagrams. But if you know the definitions, focal points, and equations for mirrors and lenses, you'll be fine.

 

[mitchlucker]

I would take the time to know and understand it. You never know what will be tested. Could be 1 question, could be a whole passage.

EDIT: Just ray diagrams? Don't bother. But optics I would. Ray diagrams are intuitive and don't really need to be "studied" for more than a few minutes.

 

[salim271]

Get a good spoon and 5 free minutes and you'll have a quick and intuitive understanding of both convex and concave mirrors.

 

[paul411]

Get a good spoon and 5 free minutes and you'll have a quick and intuitive understanding of both convex and concave mirrors.

This idea is awesome

 

[MD Odyssey]

This idea is awesome

Soup spoons actually work the best, since they tend to have greater symmetry and form sharper real images.

I actually showed how a girl in a restaurant how a chandelier formed an inverted real image in the bowl of a silver soup spoon.

 

[paul411]

I actually showed how a girl in a restaurant how a chandelier formed an inverted real image in the bowl of a silver soup spoon.

Best date ever?

 

[vayntraubinator]

Lol. I guess EK's 1001 Questions has me trampling a bit

 

[inquiry101]

use EK's method of remembering which mirrors/lens make what images based on their focal points. I made up a chart and memorized it along with the ray diagrams. It definitely helped

 

[coyotelime]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2EmowDS0U4

 

[MD Odyssey]

Best date ever?

Still together almost two years later.

 

[paul411]

Still together almost two years later.

I think people have been severely underestimating the romantic value of ray diagrams.

 

[trypanosomiasis]

I think people have been severely underestimating the romantic value of ray diagrams.

If the MCAT gave you points for drawing pretty pictures, sure, I'd waste time on ray diagrams. But if you know the definitions, focal points, and equations for mirrors and lenses, you'll be fine.

OP, I take back what I said. Ray diagrams seem to land you chicks and can also lend to better understanding of optics on the MCAT. +10 life points for that.

 

[MD Odyssey]

OP, I take back what I said. Ray diagrams seem to land you chicks and can also lend to better understanding of optics on the MCAT. +10 life points for that.

What really landed the girl was being able to explain why the sky was blue.