CHAPTER 5

5.4 LENSES
 Types of Lenses

Lenses are made of transparent material

such as glass or clear plastics.
They have two faces, of which at least
one is curved.
 Types of lenses:
Convex
(a) _________ lens, also known as
thicker at
converging lens. It is ________
the centre of the lens.

Biconvex Plano Converging

convex meniscus
 Types of lenses:
(b) Concave lens, also known as
diverging lens. It is thinner at
the centre of the lens.

Biconcave Plano Diverging

concave meniscus
 Focal Point and Focal Length of a lens
(convex lens)

Focal Point @ the principal focus, F

A point to which incident rays of light traveling
parallel to the axis converge after refraction.
Focal Length, f
Distance between the focal point, F and the optical
centre , C
 Focal Point and Focal Length of a lens
(concave lens)

Focal Point @ principal focus, F

A point to which incident rays parallel to the
axis appear to diverge after refraction.
Focal Length
Distance between the focal point , F and
optical centre, C on the lens.
 Images Formed by Lenses
Construction rules for image formed by Convex Lens

Rule 1:
A ray parallel to the principal axis is refracted
through the focal point, F
 Images Formed by Lenses
Construction rules for image formed by Convex Lens
Rule 2:
A ray passing through the focal point is refracted
parallel to the principal axis.
 Images Formed by Lenses
Construction rules for image formed by Convex Lens

Rule 3:
A ray passing through the optical centre, C travels
straight without bending.
 Images Formed by Lenses
Construction rules for image formed by Convex
Lens

The point of intersection is the position

of the image.
The images formed by a convex lens
depend on the object distance, u.
 Images Formed by Lenses
Construction rules for image formed by Concave Lens
Rule 1: A ray parallel to the principal axis is refracted
as if it appears coming from the focal point, F.
 Images Formed by Lenses
Construction rules for image formed by Concave Lens
Rule 2: A ray passing through the focal point is
refracted parallel to the principal axis.
 Images Formed by Lenses
Construction rules for image formed by Concave Lens

Rule 3: A ray passing through the optical centre, C

travels straight without bending.
 Construction rules for image formed by
Concave Lens

The point of intersection is the position of the

image.
The images formed by a concave lens are
always virtual, upright and diminished.
A ______
real image can be captured on a screen.

A virtual
______ image cannot be captured on a
screen
 Magnification, m
The size of an image formed by lens varies
with the position of the object.
The linear magnification, m is defined as:
Size of image, hi = Image distance, v
Size of object, ho Object distance, u
m=v
u
magnified if m > 1
The image is __________
The image is diminished
__________ if m < 1
The image is the same as the object
______________________ if m = 1
 Characteristic of image formed by a convex lens

Characteristics of image:
Object at infinity (u =  )
- Real

- Inverted

- Diminished
F
- Position of image:
2F F At F (v = f)
 Characteristic of image formed by a convex lens

Object beyond 2F
(u > 2f)
Characteristics of image:

- Real

- Inverted
F 2F
- Diminished
2F F

- Position of image:
Between F and 2F
( f < v < 2f)
 Characteristic of image formed by a convex lens

Object at 2F
(u = 2f)
Characteristics of image:

- Real
2F
2F F - Inverted
F

- same size as the object (m=1)

Position of image:
At 2F ( v = 2f)
 Characteristic of image formed by a convex lens

Object between F and 2F

(f < u < 2f)

Characteristics of image:

- Real

- Inverted
2F F F 2F

- Magnified (m > 1)

Position of image:
Image beyond 2 F
( v > 2f)
 Characteristic of image formed by a convex lens

Object at F
(u = f )
Characteristics of image:

- Cannot be determined

Position of image:
F F Image at infinity.
 Characteristic of image formed by a convex lens

Object Between F and C

(u<f)

Characteristics of image:

- virtual

- erect
F C F
- magnified

Image on the same side of

the object.
 Object Characteristics of image
distance ,u
u<f Upright, virtual,
magnified
u=f Image at infinity,
f <u< 2f Inverted, real,
magnified, v > 2f
u = 2f Inverted, real, same
size, v = 2f
u > 2f Inverted, real, small,
f < v < 2f
u=∞ Inverted, real, small, f <
v < 2f
The characteristics of image is also true for
concave mirror
i) To obtain a real image, the object must be
placed at a distance u such that u at infinity,
u > 2f, u = 2f, f < u < 2f
ii) To obtain a virtual image, the object must be
placed at a distance u such that u = f, u < f
For real image:
when u increases, v will decreases and the
image becomes smaller.
u is inversely proportional to v
u is inversely proportional to magnification, m
(size of image)
For real image:
when u increases, v will decreases and the
image becomes smaller.
u is inversely proportional to v
u is inversely proportional to magnification, m
(size of image)
 Characteristic of image formed by a concave lens

Object beyond 2F
(u > 2f)

Characteristics of image:

- virtual

- erect

2F F F - diminished

Image on the same side of the

object.
 Characteristic of image formed by a concave lens

Object between F and C

(u<f)

Characteristics of image:

- virtual

- erect

- diminished

Image on the same side

of the object.
Characteristics of image at different
position of object for a concave lens.

For any positions, u, the characteristics of

image is always upright, virtual and small
Virtual image for Convex lens and Concave lens

Image is
virtual,
upright and
magnified

Image is
virtual,
upright and
diminished
 Lens Formula
The relationship between object distance, u
image distance, v and focal length, f is given by
the lens formula: 1 1 1
 
f u v
The lens formula may applied to convex lens and concave
lens, provided that the ‘real is positive’ convention sign is
followed.
Sign Positive Negative
value(+) value(-)
u Real Virtual
v Real Virtual
f Convex lens Concave lens
 Example 1
An object is placed
30 cm from a convex
lens with a focal • What is the
length of 20 cm. magnification
produced by the lens?
– How far from the
lens is the image? m = 60/30 = 2
1/20 = 1/30 + 1/v • What is the nature of
v = 60 cm the image?
Real, inverted
and magnified
 Example 2
An object is placed
10 cm from a convex
lens with a focal
length of 20 cm. • What is the
magnification
– How far from the produced by the lens?
lens is the image? m = 20/10 = 2
1/20 = 1/10 + 1/v
v = - 20 cm • What is the nature of
the image?
virtual, upright
and magnified
 Example 3
An object is placed 30
cm from a concave
lens with a focal
length of 20 cm. • What is the
– How far from the magnification
lens is the image? produced by the lens?
m = 12/30 =
(-)1/20 = 1/30 + 1/v
v = - 12 cm • What is the nature of
the image?
virtual, upright
and diminished
Magnifying glass/ Simple microscope
1. Application: to magnify the image.
It consists of a convex lens.
2. An object is placed at a position, u less
than the focal length of the lens. u < f
3. The image formed is virtual, upright and
magnified.
4. The magnifying power is high if the
focal length of the lens is shorter.
5. A sharper and larger image is seen at the
near point of the eye. In general, the near
point is taken as 25 cm.
 Magnifying Glass/ Simple Microscope
Object is located at u < f

The image formed is

Image
virtual, upright and
magnified.

object
fo fo
 Compound Microscope
It consists of two powerful convex lenses of
short focal lengths.
The lens which receives light rays from the
object is called the objective lens.
The lens which is used for viewing the final
image is called the eyepiece lens.
The focal length of the objective lens is fo
whereas the focal length of the eyepiece lens is
fe. fo < fe.
 Compound Microscope
eyepiece lens

Objective lens
fo < fe

fo fe
 The object is placed at a distance fo < u1 < 2fo
Objective lens The first image
formed is
Object
inverted, real
and magnified.

2fo fo fo

Image/
object 2
Draw the principle axis, objective lens
and mark fo , 2fo
 The object is placed at a distance fo < u1 < 2fo
Objective lens The first image
formed is
Object
inverted, real
and smaller.

2fo fo fo
Image

Draw the principle axis, objective lens

and mark fo , 2fo
 Mark fe which is between fo and the first image.
Remember: fo < fe Mark fe on
Objective lens eyepiece lens the right
Object side of the
eyepiece
lens.

2fo fo fo fe fe

Image/
object 2
Draw the eyepiece lens. The position of the eyepiece
lens is adjusted until the position of the first image is
u < f from the eyepiece lens.
 Magnifying Glass/ Simple Microscope
Object is located at u < f

Image object
fo fo
The image formed is
virtual, upright and
magnified.
Draw two lines to show the position of the final
image.
Objective lens eyepiece lens
Object

2fo fo fo fe fe

object 2
final image formed
is inverted, virtual
and magnified
 Astronomical Telescope
Uses: to see distant object
It consists of an objective lens and an
eyepiece lens. fo > fe.
The objective lens is used to receive light
rays from distant object.
 Astronimical Telescope
eyepiece lens

Objective lens
fo > fe

fo fe
 Draw a line through the center of
optical center of objective lens. The first
image formed
Objective lens is at the focal
point of the
Object at infinity objective lens
Fo. It is real,
inverted and
fo fo diminished.

Draw another line through fo and parallel to

the 2nd line until the objective lens. It will
refracted a line parallel to principal axis.
 The first image now becomes the object for
the eyepiece lens.

Objective lens eyepiece lens

fe
fo fe
fo

The eyepiece lens is adjusted so that the first

image is situated at the focal point of the
eyepiece lens, Fe.
From the image, draw a line parallel to
principle axe then converge at focal point fe

Objective lens eyepiece lens

fe
fo fe
fo

Another line is a straight line

through the center of eyepiece lens
The final image formed is at infinity. The telescope is
said to be in normal adjustment.

Objective lens eyepiece lens

fo fe
fe
fo fe
fo

Image at infinity
For normal adjustment of the telescope,
the separation between the two lenses is
fo + fe.
The magnification of the telescope is
given by: m = f o
fe
The objective lens must:
- have bigger diameter so that more
light can enter to get a brighter image.
- Large magnification so that it will
produce bigger image.