ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Optical physics

Optical physics is the study of light and how it interacts with different materials. When we see things, we are actually seeing the light that is reflecting off of them.

Imagine you have a flashlight and you shine it on a wall. The light from the flashlight is actually made up of tiny particles called photons. These photons travel at the speed of light and when they hit the wall, they bounce off of it and some of them come back to your eyes, allowing you to see the wall.

Optical physics helps us understand how light behaves in different situations. For example, did you know that when light travels through water or a prism, it can be bent or split into different colors? This is called refraction and is something that happens a lot in optical physics.

Scientists who study optical physics also use mirrors, lenses, and other optical devices to manipulate light in different ways. This can be used in things like telescopes, microscopes, and cameras to help us see things that are too small or too far away for our eyes to see on their own.

Overall, optical physics is really cool because it helps us understand one of the most important things in our world - light!