Question

What is the difference between physical optics and Geometric optics?

Answer 1

In order to solve this question, we should first know about optics in physics. Optics is the study of behaviour of light and its transmission through various mediums and the effects it produced under several physical experiments, here we will discuss some basic differences between physical optics and geometric optics.

Complete answer:
Major differences between Physical optics and Geometric optics are given below as,

Physical optics	Geometric optics
In Physical optics, we study various important phenomena of light such as interference which is the study of distribution of energy waveforms of two light waves when they superimpose on each other, most famously this experiment is known as Young’s double slit experiment (YDSE).	In Geometric optics, we mainly study the path followed by the rays of light when passed through various mediums. The phenomenon such as refraction of light in which light rays get deviated from their original path as they enter a different medium.
Diffraction which is the phenomenon of bending of light waves around sharp corners and Polarization which is the phenomenon of polarizing or restricting the light wave to vibrate in chosen plane by using various polarizers.	The study of image formations due to these light rays when passed through mirrors like plane mirror, concave mirror, convex mirror and even spherical lenses such as concave and convex lens also came under Geometric optics.
So, physical optics deals with the study of wave nature of light in particularly and these interference, diffraction and polarization and main phenomenon of light which came under the study of physical optics,	So, Geometric optics deals with the study of paths followed by the rays of light when passed through different situations.

Note: It should be remembered that, in physical optics we perform special kinds of experiments to obtain the result of various phenomenon such as polarization, interference and diffraction while in geometric optics once we observe the behaviour of light like bending of light due to refraction we put this observation in to geometry and trace the path of light, this is the study of geometric optics.