Graduation Year

2025

Date of Submission

5-2025

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Physics

Reader 1

Janet Sheung

Reader 2

Gloria Lee

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Abstract

Vision correction sits at the intersection of physics and physiology. This thesis explores how the principles of geometric optics not only explain visual defects but also provide the framework for their correction. Beginning with foundational concepts in the electromagnetic spectrum and the physics of light propagation, I establish how visible light's behavior underpins all visual processes. The thin lens approximation serves as an entry point to optical modeling, offering simplified but powerful tools for initial understanding of image formation and correction. I expand the analysis to include multisurface and thick lens systems that more accurately represent the complex optical structures found in the human eye. This realistic optical model incorporates the eye's anatomical structures and their respective refractive indices to explain both normal vision and common aberrations. I provide an analysis of refractive errors including myopia, hyperopia, and presbyopia, using lens equations to quantify correction strategies with eyeglasses. A special focus is given to cylindrical lenses and the geometric principles behind the correction of astigmatism, including the interval of Sturm, circle of least confusion, and spherocylindrical prescriptions. Throughout, I emphasize the clinical relevance of geometric modeling, highlighting how optical principles directly inform diagnostic techniques, the design and fitting of corrective devices, and surgical interventions. By bridging physical theory and physiological application, this thesis emphasizes the value of geometric optics in both understanding visual disorders and guiding their correction in clinical practice.

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