1: Optics for Opticians

optics for opticians prism

First Of All – Don’t Panic!

You Have To Start Somewhere!

Some guy said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” A wise man once said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step while the journey is only completed when we keep on stepping.” So just keep on stepping!

Course Information

Estimated Time: 8 - 16 Hours

Difficulty: Difficult

Course Instructor

John Seegers John Seegers Author

Introduction to OpticianWorks

Introduction to OpticianWorks: READ ME!

Please read me first!

Lesson 1 of 1 within section Introduction to OpticianWorks. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.

1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors

1: Why Do People Wear Glasses?

Explanation of why some people need to wear glasses to see clearly.

Lesson 1 of 8 within section 1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
2: The Human Visual System

Where we stop and medical takes over.

Lesson 2 of 8 within section 1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
3: The (VERY) Basic Theory Of Light

How opticians need to think about light.

Lesson 3 of 8 within section 1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
4: Refractive Errors – Simple Myopia & Hyperopia

Explanation of the refractive errors of simple myopia & hyperopia.

Lesson 4 of 8 within section 1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
5: Refractive Errors – Simple Myopic & Hyperopic Astigmatism

Explanation of the refractive errors of simple myopic & hyperopic astigmatism.

Lesson 5 of 8 within section 1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
6: Refractive Errors – Compound Myopic & Hyperopic Astigmatism

Explanation of the refractive errors of compound myopic & hyperopic astigmatism.

Lesson 6 of 8 within section 1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
7: Refractive Errors – Mixed Astigmatism

Explanation of the refractive error of mixed astigmatism.

Lesson 7 of 8 within section 1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
8: Refractive Errors – Presbyopia

Explanation of the refractive error presbyopia.

Lesson 8 of 8 within section 1: Why People Wear Glasses & The Common Refractive Errors. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.

2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses

1: What is a Diopter?

Eyeglass prescriptions are written in a unit of measure called a diopter.

Lesson 1 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
2: Lenses as Prisms

All eyeglass lenses are just prisms.

Lesson 2 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
3: Where Does “n” the Index of Refraction Come From?

The material a lens is made from has an index of refraction. The abbreviation for an index is n.

Lesson 3 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
4: The Nominal Lens Formula

DL = D1 + D2

Lesson 4 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
5: What is Flat Transposition & How You Do It?

Flat transposition is how we convert a prescription written in one cylinder form to another.

Lesson 5 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
QUIZ: Flat Transposition Exercises
Lesson 6 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
6: The Optical Cross – How You Work With It & The Lens Clock

The optical cross is a graphical representation of the powers found on a lens

Lesson 7 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
QUIZ: Optical Cross Exercises
Lesson 8 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
7: What is Snell’s Law & How Does It Work?

Snell’s Law allows us to measure refraction.

Lesson 9 of 9 within section 2: The Math & Science Behind Eyeglass Lenses. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.

3: Eyeglass Lens Types & Lens Materials

1: Lens Curves & Thickness

Sphere, aspheric, bi-aspheric, bi-concave, bi-convex.

Lesson 1 of 6 within section 3: Eyeglass Lens Types & Lens Materials. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
2: Two More Terms to Know When Talking About Lenses

Abbe, specific gravity

Lesson 2 of 6 within section 3: Eyeglass Lens Types & Lens Materials. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
3: Lens Materials

glass, plastic, mid, high, Trivex & Tribrids

Lesson 3 of 6 within section 3: Eyeglass Lens Types & Lens Materials. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
4: The Basics of Surfacing & Finishing Lenses

Two more terms to know.

Lesson 4 of 6 within section 3: Eyeglass Lens Types & Lens Materials. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
5: Free-Form Lens Design

Why DL = D1 + D2 doesn’t work anymore.

Lesson 5 of 6 within section 3: Eyeglass Lens Types & Lens Materials. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
6: Compensated Lens Design & Vertex Distance

Foundation to understanding compensated lenses.

Lesson 6 of 6 within section 3: Eyeglass Lens Types & Lens Materials. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.

4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision

1: Light Through Lenses

You will become a bender of light. That is an optician.

Lesson 1 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
2: What is an Axis & What is Astigmatism?

When a person’s cornea has two different curves on it we say that person has an astigmatism.

Lesson 2 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
3: Power & Meridians

To correct astigmatism a lens will have different power in different places.

Lesson 3 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
QUIZ: Power & Meridian Exercises
Lesson 4 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
4: Examples of Lenses Correcting Refractive Errors

Learn how different lenses are used to correct different refractive errors.

Lesson 5 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
5: Single Vision Lenses And Lined Multifocal Lenses

How do lenses and prescriptions compare?

Lesson 6 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
6: Progressive or PAL Lenses

How do lenses and prescriptions compare?

Lesson 7 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
7: Office, Mobile, Readers, & Occupational

How do lenses and prescriptions compare?

Lesson 8 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.
QUIZ: Optics For Opticians
Lesson 9 of 9 within section 4: How Eyeglass Lenses Can Correct Poor Vision. You must be a Total Access member to access course content.