Lenses

Lenses refract light and form images. There are two main types of lenses: The Convex
(converging) lens and Concave (diverging) lens.

Convex Lens
These are thickest in the middle and thin at the edges. When rays of light parallel to the
principal axis (central line) pass through a convex lens, they are bent inwards and meet at a
point called the principal focus. Its distance from the centre of the lens is the focal length.

The principal focus is the line that passes through the centre of the lens and is perpendicular
the lens.

Concave Lens
These are thicker at the edges and thinner in the middle. When rays parallel to the principal
axis pass through a concave lens, they are bent outwards. The principal focus is the point
from which the rays appear to diverge (spread out).

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Images Formed By Convex Lenses
Rays of light usually comes from all points in the object, but for simplicity, only few rays
from one point are usually shown in ray diagrams. Rays of light from a distant object like a
star are effectively parallel, so the image is formed at the principal focus. However, for an
object at any distance, the image is in a different position. In other words the image depends
on the object position.

You can predict where a convex lens will form an image by drawing a ray diagram.
An image formed by a converging lens can be located by drawing two of the following
standard rays.

1. A ray passing through the centre of the lens is not refracted (it passes as a straight line).

2. A ray parallel to the principal axis passes through F after leaving the lens.

3. A ray through F’ leaves the lens being parallel to the principal axis.

The example below has these features.

 For simplicity, rays are drawn from one point from the object.
 The rays used are standard rays. These are chosen because it is easier to work where
they go. Only two of them are needed to find where the image is.
 Again for making things easier and clear, rays are shown bending at the line through
the middle of the lens. In reality, bending takes place at each surface of the lens.

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Magnification
Magnification of the object can be calculated from the equation

Im age Size
Magnification = Object Size

Images Produced by Lenses

Object beyond 2F

Properties of the image

The image is formed between F and 2F.

The image is
 Inverted
 Real
 Smaller than the object

Application
The lens is used in this manner in a camera. The object is always beyond 2F and the image is
always small, inverted and real.

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Object at 2F

Image is formed at 2F.

Properties of the image

The image is
 Inverted
 Real
 Same size as the object

Application
The lens is used in this way in a telescope. A telescope used two lenses. The first lens refract
the rays of light to form an image which will be inverted whereas the second one makes the
inverted image to be upright but having the same size.

Object Between F and 2F

The image is formed beyond 2F.

Properties of the image

The image is
 Real
 Bigger than the object (magnified)
 Inverted

Application

When used in a slide projector or a photographic enlarger.

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Object Between F and the Lens

The image is formed behind the object

Properties of the image

The image is
 Virtual
 Upright
 Bigger than the object (Magnified)
Application
A lens can be used in this manner in a magnifying glass.

Note: When the object is at F, the image will be formed at infinity, similarly, when the object
is at infinity, the image will be formed at F.

The lens Equation

The lens equation is given by

1 1 1
= +
f u v
where f is the focal length of the lens, u is the distance of the object from the lens and finally
v is the distance of the image from the lens.

Power of the Lens

The shorter the focal length of the lens, the stronger it is, the power of converging a beam of
light. The power of the lens is given by the equation

1
P=
f
where the focal length should be in metres. The units for power of the lens is Dioptre = 1/m.

Uses of Lenses in Optical Instruments

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The camera
A camera uses a convex lens to form an image that is real, small, inverted on a piece of film
at the back. The image is usually formed between F and 2F of the lens. The image is formed
on the film which changes due to exposure to light. This film is developed to produce a
negative. A print of the photograph is going to be made from this negative.

In digital cameras the image can be saved in a disk electronically. For simple cameras the
lens is fixed where as in some cameras (zoom lens), the position of the lens can be altered for
exact focusing.

Projector
A slide projector forms a real image on a screen of a slide or a film in a cine-projector. The
image is usually small than the real object (slide or frame of film), and is further away from
the lens. Good illumination of the slide is needed in order for the image to be bright. This is
achieved by focusing the light beam by a concave mirror and two condenser lenses as shown
in the diagram below.

A Photographic Enlarger

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A photographic enlarger uses a magnified image of the negative to produce a well magnified
print of a photograph. It works the same way as a slide projector.

Magnifying Glass
A convex lens forms an enlarged, upright virtual image of an object placed between F and the
lens. It acts as a magnifying glass as shown below.

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