Physics

Investigatory
PROJECT

Submitted By : Akash Bhat

XII B
Roll No. : 4621856
Year

: 2015-2016

Topic

: To Determine the Combined Focal Length of 2 Lenses

School

: Lourdes Central School

CERTIFICATE
1

This is hereby to certify that the project To Determine The

Combined Focal Length Of The Lens System is an original
and genuine investigation work carried out to investigate about
the subject matter and the related data collection and
investigation has as per the requirement for the CBSE Board
Examination for the year 2015 16.

Date : 28/1/16

Concerned Teacher Signature :

Examiner Signature :

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere
thanks to our physics teacher Mrs.Sharmila Colaco
for
her
invaluable
guidance,
constant
encouragement,
constructive
comments,
sympathetic attitude and immense motivation,
which has sustained my efforts at all stages of this
project work. Her valuable advice and suggestions
for the corrections, modifications and improvement
did enhance the perfection in performing my job
well.

I would like to express my gratitude for our

honorable principal Rev.Fr.Robert DSouza for whole
hearted co-operation and guidance. I am also
thankful for her encouragement and for all the
facilities that she provided for this project work. I
sincerely appreciate this magnanimity by taking me
into her fold for which I shall remain indebted to
her.

I take special pleasure in acknowledging our lab

assistant Mr.Harsha for his willingness in providing
3

us with necessary lab equipments and constant

support without which this effort would have been
worthless.

Table of content
Aim
Introduction
Requirements
Procedure
Observations
Calculations
Precautions
Sources Of Errors
4

 Bibliography
Conclusion

AIM
To determine the combined
length of TWO CONVEX lenses

focal

INTRODUCTION
Many Optical tasks require several lenses in order to achieve an
acceptable level of performance. One such possible approach to lens
combination is to consider each image formed by each lens as the object
for the next lens and so on. This is a valid approach, but it is time
consuming and unnecessary.
In various optical instruments, two or more lenses are combined to
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1. Increase the magnification of the image,

2. Make the final image erect w.r.t the object,
3. Reduce certain aberrations.
It is much simpler to calculate the effective (combined) focal length and
principal point locations and then use the results in any subsequent
paraxial calculations. Two thin lenses of focal length f 1 and f2
respectively which are in closed contact, then the effective focal length
of the combination will be given by
1/F= 1/f1 + 1/f2
And the total magnification of the lens combination will be given by
M = m 1 * m2
If the lenses of focal length are separated by a finite distance d, the focal
length F of the equivalent lens is given by
1/F= 1/f1 + 1/f2 - d/f1.f2

APPLICATIONS OF COMBINATION OF CONVEX AND CONCAVE LENS

1. CHROMATIC ABBERATION
One common lens aberration is chromatic aberration. Ordinary light is a
mixture of light of many different colours, i.e. wavelengths. Because the
refractive index of glass to light differs according to its colour or wavelength,
the position in which the image is formed differs according to colour, creating
a blurring of colours. This chromatic aberration can be cancelled out by
combining convex and concave lenses of different refractive indices.

2. TELEPHOTO LENSES
Most optical devices make use of not just one lens, but of a combination of
convex and concave lenses. For example, combining a single convex lens
with a single concave lens enables distant objects to be seen in more detail.
This is because the light condensed by the convex lens is once more
refracted into parallel light by the concave lens. This arrangement made
possible the Galilean telescope, named after its 17th century inventor,
Galileo.
Adding a second convex lens to this combination produces a simple
telephoto lens, with the front convex and concave lens serving to magnify the
image, while the rear convex lens condenses it. Adding a further two pairs of
convex/concave lenses and a mechanism for adjusting the distance between
the single convex and concave lenses enables the modification of
magnification over a continuous range. This is how zoom lenses work.

REQUIREMENTS
An optical bench with three uprights (central upright fixed, two
outer uprights with lateral movement)
4 Convex Lenses of different focal lengths.
Two lens holder
Bulb
Half metre scale

PROCEDURE
Take one convex lens of focal length f1 and convex lens of focal length
f2.
Find the rough focal length of the two lenses L 1and L2(individually
having focus length of f1 and f2 respectively).
Keep the lenses in front of the window and obtain a sharp image of the
object placed at infinity.
Measure the distance between lenses and the image formed with the
help of scale.

 Now find the accurate focal length of two lenses L1 and L2 by using the
experimental setup individually and calculate its focal length reading.
With left eye closed, see with the right open eye from the other end of
the optical bench. An inverted & enlarged image of the bulb filament
will be seen. Tip of the image must lie in the middle of the lenses.
Adjust the height of the object needle so that its tip is seen in line with
the tip of the image when seen with the right open eye.
Move the eye towards right. The tips will get separated. The image tip
and the image filament have parallax.
Remove the parallax tip to tip as described.
Combine the two lenses together with the help of two lens holder and
find its accurate combine focal length.
Repeat the above steps 3 times for 3 different combinations

OBSERVATIONS

Serial
No

1.

Lens

L1
L2
L1+L2

Observed Focal Focal Length of

Length (cm)
combination(formula
)
(cm)
25.2
25.3
12.61
12.6
10

2.

3.

L3
L4
L3+L4

15.6
10.1
6

6.3

L1
L3
L1+L3

24.9
10.2
9.4

9.3

CALCULATIONS
1/F = 1/f1 + 1/f2

1st case:
F= (25.2x25.3)/50.5=12.61
F(observed)= 12.6
2nd case:
F=(15.6x10.1)/25.7=6.3
F(observed)= 6
11

3rd case:
F=(24.9x10.2)/35.1=9.47
F(observed)=9.3

PRECAUTIONS
Tips of the object and image needles should lie at the same height
as the centre of the lens.
Parallax should be removed from tip to tip by keeping eye at a
distance at least 30cm away from the bulb.
The object needle should be placed at such a distance that only real,
inverted image of it is formed.

SOURCES OF ERROR
12

 The uprights may not be the vertical.

Parallax removal may not be perfect.

BIBLOGRAPHY

Comprehensive Pratical Physics Class XII

NCERT Physics Part II
Experimental Physics
www.wikipedia.com

CONCLUSION
1.
The observed values of focal length of
combination of lenses and the calculated
ones are well in close to each other with
very little error
2.
So on combination of 2 convex lenses
decreases the focal length and increases
the power.

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3.
The effective nature of the combined
lens system is converging i.e. convex lens
since focal length for the system comes out
to be positive.

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