PHYSICS LIGHT-REFLECTION AND REFRACTION

Refraction Through Spherical Lens

Refraction by Spherical Lenses

 A lens is formed by a transparent material medium bound by two surfaces, of which one or both
surfaces are spherical.
 A lens having both surfaces bulging outwards is called a double convex lens or simply a convex lens.
A convex lens is thicker at the middle than at the edges.
 The convex lens converges the light rays incident on it to a point.

 Hence, a convex lens is also known as a converging lens.

 A lens having both surfaces curved inwards is called a double concave lens or simply a concave lens.
A concave lens is thicker at the edges than at the middle.
 The concave lens diverges the light rays incident on it.

 Hence, a concave lens is also known as a diverging lens.

 As both the lenses have two spherical surfaces, they will have two centres of curvatures named C 1
and C2.
 The central point of the lens is known as the optical centre. It is represented as O.
 The convex lens converges the rays incident on it after refraction to a point on the principal axis. This
point is known as the principal focus of the convex lens.
 The rays incident on the concave lens appear to diverge from a point on the principal axis. This point
is known as the principal focus of the concave lens.

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Image Formation by Lenses

 There are certain rules to draw a ray diagram to locate the image formed by a spherical lens.
 First rule: A ray of light parallel to the principal axis, after refraction from a convex lens, passes
through the principal focus on the other side of the lens. In case of a concave lens, the ray appears to
diverge from the principal focus on the same side of the lens.

 Second rule: A ray of light passing through a principal focus, after refraction from a convex lens,
emerges parallel to the principal axis. Whereas a ray of light appearing to meet at the principal focus
of a concave lens after refraction emerges parallel to the principal axis.

 Third rule: A ray of light passing through the optical centre of the lens emerges without any deviation.

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Image Formation by a Convex Lens for Different Positions of the Object

Position of the Position of the Nature of the
Size of the image
object image image
Highly diminished,
At infinity At focus F2 Real and inverted
point-sized

Position of the Position of the Nature of the

Size of the image
object image image
Between F2 and
Beyond 2F1 Diminished Real and inverted
2F2

Position of the Position of the Nature of the

Size of the image
object image image
At 2F1 At 2F2 Same size Real and inverted

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 PHYSICS LIGHT-REFLECTION AND REFRACTION

Position of the Position of the Nature of the

Size of the image
object image image
Between F1 and
Beyond 2F2 Enlarged Real and inverted
2F1

Position of the Position of the Nature of the

Size of the image
object image image
Infinitely large or
At focus F1 At infinity Real and inverted
highly enlarged

Position of the Position of the Size of the Nature of the

object image image image
Between focus F1 On the same side of
Enlarged Virtual and erect
and optical centre O lens as object

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 PHYSICS LIGHT-REFLECTION AND REFRACTION

Nature, position and relative size of the image formed by a convex mirror
Position of the Position of the Nature of the
Size of the image
object image image
Highly diminished,
At infinity At focus F1 Virtual and erect
point-sized

Position of the Position of the Size of the Nature of the

object image image image
Between infinity and Between focus F1 and
Diminished Virtual and erect
optical centre O optical centre O

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