Thin Spherical Lenses:

A lens is an optical component made from a refractive medium, bounded by two surfaces at least one of
which is a curved surface. A lens is used to converge or diverge a beam of light by refraction that
produces a reduced or enlarged, real or virtual, and inverted or uptight image of an object placed on one
side of the lens.

The principle of the working of a lens can be demonstrated by using a pair of prism as shown above.

When a parallel beam of light passes through two prisms placed base to base, the emergent rays bend
towards the common base line and converge to points on the line.

Spherical Lenses: For the spherical lenses at least one refracting surface is spherical and othe surface
may be spherical or plane. Following are some combinations of lenses:

Convergent Lens:

1. Double convex
2. Plano convex
3. Concavo convex
Divergent Lanses:
1. Double concave
2. Plano concave
3. Convexo concave
Spherical surface of a lens may be viewed as a segment of a sphere of radius r as shown for a
double convex and a double concave lens.
Centers and radii of curvature are the centers and radii of two spheres of which the two surfaces
of the lenses are segments.
 A point P on the spherical axis which lieshe inside the lens or very close to it on the outside is
the optical center of the lens. A ray passing through the optical center is also refracted through
the lens undeviated. All the distances in the lens measured from the optical center.

Refraction from Lenses:

1. A ray incident parallel to the principal axis after refraction through a lenl passes through the
focal point( convergent lens), or appear to diverge from the focal point ( divergent lens).
2. A ray passing through the focal point on the incident side of a convergent lens passes, or
incident in the direction of the focal point on the othe side of a convergent lens, after refraction
through the lens goes parallel to the principal axis.
3. A ray passing through the optical center of the lens passes through the lens undeviated.

Ray diagram for a convergent Lens:

Case (1) x0=infinitive
Image is real, inverted, smaller than the object and lies in the focal plane of the lens. This case
represents a simple telescope.
Case(2) x0 greater than 2f
Image is real, inverted, smaller than object and located between f and 2f distance from the lens.
This case represents a simple photographic camera.

Case(3) x0=2f
Image is real, inverted, same size as the object and os located at 2f distance from the lens. This
represents the function of a simple photocopier.
Case(4)
Image is real, inverted, larger than the object and is located beyond 2f distance from the

lens.

Case(5)
Image is real, inverted, larger than the object and is located at a infinite distance from the lens.
This case represents the principle os security lights.
Case (6)
Image is virtual, upright, larger than the object and is located beyond f( on the same side
of the object) from the lens. This is the case of a simple microscope.

Ray diagram for a divergent lens:

There is only one case. For a divergent lens location and the characteristics of the image
do not depend on the distance of the object from the lens. The image is virtual, upright,
smaller than object and lies between the object and the lens.
Sign Convention:
 Focal length of a convergent lens is always positive and that for the divergent lens is
always negative