Spherical Lenses

A lens is a piece of refracting medium bounded by two surfaces, at least one of which is a curved
surface.

Lenses can be divided into two categories:

i. Convex or converging lenses, and

ii. Concave or diverging lenses.

i. Convex or Converging lens

 It is thicker at the centre than the edges.

 It converges a parallel beam of light on refraction through it.

 It has a real focus.

Types of convex lenses:

1. Double convex or biconvex lens: - both surfaces are convex.

2. Planoconvex lens:- One side is convex and the other is plane.

3. Concavoconvex lens:- one side is convex and the other is concave.

ii. Concave or Diverging lens

 It is thinner at the centre than the edges.

 It diverges a parallel beam of light on refraction through it.

 It has a virtual focus.

 Types of concave lenses:

1. Double concave or biconcave lens: - both surfaces are concave.

2. Planoconcave lens:- One side is concave and the other is plane.

3. Convexoconcave lens:- one side is convex and the other is concave.

REFRACTION AT A CONVEX SPHERICAL SURFACE

New Cartesian sign convention

1. All distances are measured from the pole of the spherical surface.
2. The distances measured in the direction of incident light are positive.
3. The distances measured in the opposite direction on incident light are negative.

Assumptions used :

1. The object taken is a point object placed on the principal axis.

2. The aperture of the spherical refracting surface is small.

3. The incident and refracting rays make small angles with the principal axis so that the
sines or tangents of these angles may be taken equal to the angles themselves.
Derivation:

Figure shows formation of real image by the surface.

Draw NM perpendicular to principal axis.

Now, for ∆ NOC, i is the exterior angle.

From ∆ NIC ; γ = r + β or r = γ - β

Therefore, i = ∠NOM + ∠NCM = α + γ (exterior angle)

(4)

From ∆ NIC ; γ = r + β or r = γ - β

(5)

From (4) & (5)

𝑁𝑀 𝑁𝑀 𝑁𝑀 𝑁𝑀
n1 + = n2 −
𝑂𝑀 𝑀𝐶 𝑀𝐶 𝑀𝐼

since P is very close to M, OM ≈ OP, MI ≈ PI & MC ≈ PC, Therefore

𝑁𝑀 𝑁𝑀 𝑁𝑀 𝑁𝑀
n1 + = n2 −
𝑂𝑃 𝑃𝐶 𝑃𝐶 𝑃𝐼
 1 1 1 1
n1 + = n2 −
𝑂𝑃 𝑃𝐶 𝑃𝐶 𝑃𝐼

𝑛1 𝑛2 𝑛2 𝑛1
+ = −
𝑂𝑃 𝑃𝐼 𝑃𝐶 𝑃𝐶
𝑛1 𝑛2 𝑛 2 −𝑛 1
+ =
𝑂𝑃 𝑃𝐼 𝑃𝐶
𝑛1 𝑛2 𝑛 2 −𝑛 1
+ =
𝑂𝑃 𝑃𝐼 𝑃𝐶
𝑛1 𝑛2 𝑛 2 −𝑛 1
+ = [OP = -u; PI =+v ; PC = +R]
−𝑢 𝑣 𝑅
𝒏𝟐 𝒏𝟏 𝒏𝟐 −𝒏𝟏
− = (6)
𝒗 𝒖 𝑹

Equation (6) gives the relation between object and image distance in terms of refractive index of
the medium and radius of curvature of the curved spherical surface. This equation is valid for all
refractions from rarer to denser medium.

For the refractions from denser to rarer eq (6) becomes;

𝒏𝟏 𝒏𝟐 𝒏𝟏 −𝒏𝟐
− =
𝒗 𝒖 𝑹

Lens Maker’s Formula

Assumptions

i. The lens is so thin that the distances measured from either of the poles, are same as that
measured from the optical centre.

ii. Aperture of the lens is small.

iii. Object is point object.

iv. All rays are paraxial, ie; they make very small angles with the normals. ie; i and r are
small
Step I

The first refracting surface ABC forms the real image I1 of the object O. Since the refraction is
from rarer to denser medium, equation for the spherical surface is,

Step II

For the second refracting surface ADC the image I1 also acts as a virtual object to form the final
real image I. Since the refraction is from denser to rarer medium, equation for the spherical
surface is,
Adding (1) and (2) gives;

If the surrounding medium is air:

This is required Lens maker’s Formula.

Rules For Drawing Images Formed By Spherical Lenses

(i) A ray emanating from the object parallel to the principal axis of the lens after refraction
passes through the second principal focus F (in a convex lens) or appears to diverge (in a
concave lens) from the first principal focus F.

(ii) A ray of light, passing through the optical centre of the lens, emerges without any
deviation after refraction.

(iii) A ray of light passing through the first principal focus (for a convex lens) or appearing to
meet at it (for a concave lens) emerges parallel to the principal axis after refraction.

Convex lens Concave lens

Formation of images by Convex Lens

4) When object is at F

Image is formed:

• at infinity.

• real, inverted

• highly magnified.

5) When object is between F and O

• Image is formed:

• on same side of lens as that of object

• virtual and erect.

• larger in size than object

Formation of images by Concave Lens

Derivation of Lens formula

Consider an object AB placed perpendicular to
the principal axis of a thin convex lens between its F1 M

and 2F1. A real inverted and magnified image A∣B∣ is

formed beyond 2F2 on other side of the lens.
f
∆A∣B∣O and ∆ABO are similar u
𝑨∣ 𝑩∣ 𝑶𝑩∣ v
= (1)
𝑨𝑩 𝑶𝑩

Also ∆A∣B∣F2 and ∆MOF2 are similar

𝑨∣ 𝑩∣ 𝑭𝟐 𝑩∣
= or
𝑴𝑶 𝑶𝑭𝟐

𝑨∣ 𝑩∣ 𝑭𝟐 𝑩∣
= [since MO = AB] (2)
𝑨𝑩 𝑶𝑭𝟐

From (1) and (2),

𝑶𝑩∣ 𝑭𝟐 𝑩∣ 𝑶𝑩∣ − 𝑶𝑭𝟐
= = (3)
𝑶𝑩 𝑶𝑭𝟐 𝑶𝑭𝟐
BO = -u; 𝑶𝑩∣ = v; OF2 = + f
Therefore (3) Becomes;
𝒗 𝒗−𝒇
= ; vf = -uv + uf or uv = uf – vf
−𝒖 𝒇

Dividing both sides by uvf, we get

𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 Lens formula. It is applicable for

𝒖𝒗 𝒖𝒇 𝒗𝒇
= - ie; =𝒗− → convex and concave lens, and for
𝒖𝒗𝒇 𝒖𝒗𝒇 𝒖𝒗𝒇 𝒇 𝒖
both real and virtual images.

Linear Magnification (m)

It is defined as the ratio of the size of the image

formed by the lens to the of the object.

From figure:

Power of a Lens
• Power of a lens is a measure of the convergence or
divergence, which a lens introduces in the light falling on it.

• The power P of a lens is defined as the tangent of the angle by

which it converges or diverges a beam of light falling at unit
distant from the optical centre.
 for small value of δ.

Power is also defined as reciprocal of focal length.

• The SI unit for power of a lens is dioptre (D).

• The power of a lens of focal length of 1 metre is one dioptre. ( f= 1m, P = 1D)

• Power of a lens is positive for a converging lens and negative for a diverging lens.

Thus, when an optician prescribes a corrective lens of power + 2.5 D, the required lens is
a convex lens of focal length + 40 cm. A lens of power of – 4.0 D means a concave lens of focal
length – 25 cm.

Combination of thin lenses in contact

L1, L2 – 2 thin lenses of focal length f1 and f2 respectively placed coaxially in contact with one
another.
L1 L2
O – point object on the principal axis.

OC1 – u

In the absence of second lens L2, the first lens L1 will form O C1 C 2 I I1

a real image I1 of O at a distance C1I1 = v1

V
therefore lens formula for L1, u
V1
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
= − (1)
𝒇𝟏 𝒗𝟏 𝒖

The image I1 act as a virtual object for L2 which finally forms its real image I at a distance v.
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
Therefore = − (2)
𝒇𝟐 𝒗 𝒗𝟏

Adding (1) and (2)

1 1 1 1 1 1
+ = − + ( − )
𝑓1 𝑓2 𝑣1 𝑢 𝑣 𝑣1
 1 1 1 1
ie; + = − (3)
𝑓1 𝑓2 𝑣 𝑢

if ‘f’ is the equivalent focal length for the combination of thin lenses in contact, then
1 1 1
− = (4)
𝑣 𝑢 𝑓

From (3) & (4), we get

𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
= +
𝒇 𝒇𝟏 𝒇𝟐

Therefore eqivalent power: P = P1 +P2

Total Magnification

When lenses are used in combination each lens magnifies the image formed by preceding lens.
Hence the total magnification ‘m’ is equal to the product of the magnifications
m1,m2,m3……produced by the individual lenses.

m = m1 × m2 × m3 ……