Optics Lab

PHYSICSStudio

An optics sandbox: place lasers, mirrors, lenses, and prisms on a workbench and watch the beams interact in real time.

UpdatedMar 2026

ExportsPNG, JPG

Runs onAny browser

PriceFree

Overview

A dynamic physics playground.

Optics Lab is a 3D physics sandbox for geometric optics. Place a laser on the workbench, drop a mirror in its path, then add a lens or a prism and see how the beam reflects, refracts, splits, and converges.

Right sidebar has three tabs: Environment (lighting, atmosphere), Inventory (the toolbox of optical elements), and Inspector (per-object tweaks like focal length and material).

Features

Built for physics-scale experimentation.

01 / Spotlight

Real-time geometric-optics solver

lasers, mirrors, lenses, prisms, beam splitters.

Three-tab right sidebar

Environment, Inventory, and Inspector for per-object tweaks.

Save your bench

To JSON and reload it later; export PNG or JPG of the current scene.

How to use

Workflow

Steps take about a minute.

Open the Inventory tab in the right sidebar, click an element (laser, mirror, lens, prism), then click on the workbench to place it. Use the Inspector tab to tweak each element. Drag to orbit the camera; scroll to zoom. Export PNG/JPG from the toolbar.

Use cases

What people use it for

Simulating geometric optics with lasers, mirrors, lenses, and prismsTeaching Snell's law, reflection, refraction, and beam splittingBuilding and saving custom optical bench setups via JSON exportCreating optics diagrams and visuals for presentations

FAQ

Common questions

Is the optics simulation accurate?+

It uses geometric ray tracing with Snell's law and thin-lens approximations. It's accurate for setups where you can ignore diffraction, coherence, and polarization, which covers most introductory optics scenarios.

Can I save a setup?+

Yes. The Inventory tab includes a Save / Load JSON for the current bench, so you can round-trip a working setup between sessions.

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Optics Lab

A dynamic physics playground.