Summary
In this introductory chapter we have painted in broad strokes some pictures of what is ahead in the rest of the book. We began with a discussion of the fundamentals of light. Starting with the wave equation and Maxwell's equations, we presented the wave and particle natures of light. We cited Snell's law, along with the critical angle and Brewster's angle. We next discussed communicating with light, followed by a section on the fiber cable. The discussion included step index and graded index fibers. Most of the chapter dealt with the communication system, concentrating on the complete fiber optic system. Analog and digital modulation was explained.
In Chapter 2 we study electrostatics, electricity under time-invariant conditions.