Physics

GEOMETRIC OPTICS:

Reflection of light in Mirrors Refraction of light in Lenses

RICARDO F. UY JR.
 THE MAGNIFIER
The apparent size of an object is determined by the size of its image on the retina. If the eye is
unaided, this size depends on the angle Ꝋ subtended by the object at the eye, called its angular size
(Fig. 34.51a).
To look closely at a small object, such as an insect or a crystal, you bring it close to your eye,
making the subtended angle and the retinal image as large as possible. But your eye cannot focus
sharply on objects that are closer than the near point, so the angular size of an object is greatest (that
is, it subtends the largest possible viewing angle) when it is placed at the near point. In the following
discussion we will assume an average viewer for whom the near point is 25 cm from the eye.
A converging lens can be used to form a virtual image that is larger and farther from the eye
than the object itself, as shown in Fig. 34.51b. Then the object can be moved closer to the eye, and
the angular size of the image may be substantially larger than the angular size of the object at 25 cm
without the lens. A lens used in this way is called a magnifier, otherwise known as a magnifying glass
or a simple magnifier. The virtual image is most comfortable to view when it is placed at infinity, so
that the ciliary muscle of the eye is relaxed; this means that the object is placed at the focal point of
the magnifier. In the following discussion we assume that this is done.
 It may seem that we can make the angular magnification as large as we like by decreasing the focal
length In fact, the aberrations of a simple double-convex lens set a limit to
M of about to If these aberrations are corrected, the angular magnification may be made as great as
When greater magnification than this is needed, we usually use a compound microscope, discussed in
the next section.
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