Welcome to Edmund Scientific! Since 1942, Edmund Optics® has been inspiring the next generation of students to become interested in science and engineering through its thought-provoking catalog of optics, scientific experiments, and learning tools. https://www.edmundscientific.com/

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Circularlypolarized light

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The core of Edmund's offerings was surplus lenses. These were single-element lenses, shipped in 2.5-by-4.25-inch (64 mm × 108 mm) coin envelopes, with the approximate diameter and focal length stenciled on them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Scientific_Corporation

Polarizedand unpolarizedlight

One thing was a heat sensitive (I think) transparency medium that would copy a b&w negative to a nice positive sepia-toned transparency, suitable for slide projection. Magic! I still have a few, I think.

"Experiments are well laid out with enough material to do the experiments again if you like. They’re a fun way to introduce kids to science and it will do them well when they start science at school."

Linearlypolarized light

What is planepolarized lightin Chemistry

"The fact that it is very interactive, and encourages abstract thought and the discipline of method and observation. It is also A LOT OF FUN! Even for the parent. My kids want to go into scientific fields as a result!"

Plane-polarizedlightexamples

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Holy Cow! Turns out the EO Knowledge Center is loaded with tutorials about all sorts of topics relating to optics. It's still in beta, so they're looking for feedback. Well, my initial feedback is that I think I'm going to have fun at that library. (Oh, and can they pretty please do one on why "equivalent aperture" is not even a real thing? Thenk-yew.)

Polarization oflightnotes PDF

It is though. A thing I mean. You just have to prioritise depth of field in your photographic endeavours, and suddenly it's all about equivalent apertures. I shoot three formats, usually at least two simultaneously - 6x8,6x6 and 135 - juggling equivalent aperture values became my second nature.

Cancel my earlier comment. It is the same company, explained in the "Company/Timeline" tab on the site. Great to see that they adapted and are still in business.

That's pretty impressive. For me, though, it's pretty wonderful just to know that Edmund Optics and Edmund Scientific are still around. Pretty sure I was at the surplus store in New Jersey at least once, but I remember almost nothing about it because my teenage science nerd mind was so blown.

Planepolarized lightenantiomers

In 1942, amateur photographer Norman W. Edmund (1916 - 2012) found it hard to find lenses he needed for his hobby. This led him to advertise lenses for sale in photography magazines. It was so successful he founded "'Edmund Salvage Corporation'". It soon changed its name to Edmund Scientific and made its name with ads in publications like Scientific American as a supplier of chipped lenses, war-surplus optics, and low cost scientific gadgetry. Its advertisements caught the attention of hobbyists, amateur astronomers, high school students, and cash-strapped researchers.

Equivalent aperture? Oh gawd, that crap still floats about the blogosphere? Well, maybe these tutorials can finally make it go away forever.

Polarized lightmeaning

Master all things optics and imaging using the new Edmund Optics® Knowledge Center! This page allows you to easily and seamlessly explore our extensive technical library of application notes, videos, technical tools, and more. Resources can be sorted by 90 different topics to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Edmunds is a wonderful company that started out serving amateur astronomers with products of their own manufacture , military surplus ( a big deal back in the day) as well as other interesting stuff. I built my first telescopes with their parts and products. Along the way they created Edmund Optics and began manufacturing all kinds of highly sophisticated optical products. They have always had an educational bent , but this new service looks great Thanks

Light boasts many fascinating features, and polarization is one of them! Explore light’s secrets and use it to create stunning works of art with the “Polarized Light” set by MEL Science! Exploit the potential of polarization to reveal that transparent plastics are much more complex than they appear!

Edmund Scientific was part of the post-World War II "war surplus" phenomenon … Edmund was, however, the only widely known supplier of surplus optics.

deals nicely with f-number equivalence. See page 10 in particular. But at 45 pages the article is likely TL;DR for many, so I guess we need a simple video.

"My kids love the unique projects and the variety of choices. We’ve tried STEM, Physics, and Chemistry, and each one has been a hit."

As a gen x sceptic, my first reaction is to ask myself why they are doing this and how it is funded. Not that I’m suggesting there is anything duplicitous in this instance, but, you know, profit driven companies. It does look interesting, and there’s probably more than I ever need to know as a hobbyist. Looking forward to geeking out on some technical explanations :) Thanks Mike.

RE: Equivalent aperture. Well yes, if you put a lens designed for a MF or LF camera on a smaller camera you aren't using all the capacity of that lens because the image circle spills way beyond the edges of the sensor. You may well be getting degradation due to that excess light bouncing around inside the camera. So, why would you want to use a lens not designed for the format you are using and spend your time figuring out how to to make it perform like a lens that was designed for the format you are using?

Is this the same corporation that was Edmund Scientific, which put out a great catalog of surplus and other optical, electronic and other equipment back in the 60's and 70's (i.e., when dinosaurs still walked the earth)? It was great and inspired many Walter Mitty style projects.