Everyday Optics: Glasses, Contact Lenses, and Vision

Glasses and contact lenses correct vision by bending light to focus properly on the retina.
Nearsighted eyes focus light in front of the retina, corrected with concave lenses.
Farsighted eyes focus light behind the retina, corrected with convex lenses.
Astigmatism distorts vision because the cornea isn’t perfectly curved; cylindrical lenses fix it.
Bifocal and progressive lenses help people see clearly at both near and far distances.
Contact lenses sit directly on the eye’s surface, offering a wider field of view than glasses.
Modern lenses use coatings that reduce glare, block UV rays, or filter blue light.
The invention of eyeglasses in the 13th century revolutionized reading and learning.
Millions of people worldwide rely on optics daily to see clearly and comfortably.
Everyday vision correction is a simple yet powerful application of light physics in action.