3/10/2017 DivergingLensesRayDiagrams

DivergingLensesRayDiagrams
TheAnatomyofaLens
RefractionbyLenses
ImageFormationRevisited
ConvergingLensesRayDiagrams
ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations
DivergingLensesRayDiagrams
DivergingLensesObjectImageRelations
TheMathematicsofLenses

EarlierinLesson5,welearnedhowlightisrefractedbydoubleconcavelensinamannerthatavirtual
imageisformed.Wealsolearnedaboutthreesimple rules
ofrefractionfordoubleconcavelenses:
Anyincidentraytravelingparalleltotheprincipalaxisofadiverginglenswillrefractthroughthelens
andtravel inlinewith
thefocalpoint(i.e.,inadirectionsuchthatitsextensionwillpassthroughthe
focalpoint).
Anyincidentraytravelingtowardsthefocalpointonthewaytothelenswillrefractthroughthelens
andtravelparalleltotheprincipalaxis.
Anincidentraythatpassesthroughthecenterofthelenswillineffectcontinueinthesame
directionthatithadwhenitenteredthelens.
Thesethreeruleswillbeusedtoconstructraydiagrams.Araydiagramisatoolusedtodeterminethe
location,size,orientation,andtypeofimageformedbyalens.Raydiagramsfordoubleconvex
lensesweredrawninapreviouspartofLesson5.Inthislesson,wewillseeasimilarmethodfor
constructingraydiagramsfordoubleconcavelenses.

StepbyStepMethodforDrawingRayDiagrams
Themethodofdrawingraydiagramsforadoubleconcavelensisdescribedbelow.
1.Pickapointonthetopoftheobjectanddrawthreeincidentraystravelingtowardsthelens.

Usingastraightedge,accuratelydrawoneraysothatittravels
towardsthefocalpointontheoppositesideofthelensthisraywill
strikethelensbeforereachingthefocalpointstoptherayatthe
pointofincidencewiththelens.Drawthesecondraysuchthatit
travelsexactlyparalleltotheprincipalaxis.Drawthethirdrayto
theexactcenterofthelens.Placearrowheadsupontheraysto
indicatetheirdirectionoftravel.

2.Oncetheseincidentraysstrikethelens,refractthemaccordingtothethree rulesofrefractionfor
doubleconcavelenses.

Theraythattravelstowardsthefocalpointwillrefractthroughthelensandtravelparallelto
theprincipalaxis.Useastraightedgetoaccuratelydrawitspath.
Theraythattraveledparalleltotheprincipalaxisonthewaytothe
lenswillrefractandtravelinadirectionsuchthatitsextension
passesthroughthefocalpointontheobject'ssideofthelens.Align
astraightedgewiththepointofincidenceandthefocalpoint,and
drawthesecondrefractedray.Theraythattraveledtotheexact
centerofthelenswillcontinuetotravelinthesamedirection.Place
arrowheadsupontheraystoindicatetheirdirectionoftravel.The
threeraysshouldbediverginguponrefraction.
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3.Locateandmarktheimageofthetopoftheobject.

Theimagepointofthetopoftheobjectisthepointwherethethreerefractedrays
intersect.Sincethethreerefractedraysarediverging,theymust
beextendedbehindthelensinordertointersect.Usingastraight
edge,extendeachoftheraysusingdashedlines.Drawthe
extensionsuntiltheyintersect.Allthreeextensionsshould
intersectatthesamelocation.Thepointofintersectionisthe
imagepointofthetopoftheobject.Thethreerefractedrays
wouldappeartodivergefromthispoint.Thisismerelythepoint
wherealllightfromthetopoftheobjectwouldappeartodiverge
fromafterrefractingthroughthedoubleconcavelens.Ofcourse,therestoftheobjecthasan
imageaswellanditcanbefoundbyapplyingthesamethreestepstoanotherchosenpoint.
Seenotebelow.

4.Repeattheprocessforthebottomoftheobject.

Thegoalofaraydiagramistodeterminethelocation,size,orientation,andtypeofimagethat
isformedbythedoubleconcavelens.Typically,thisrequires
determiningwheretheimageoftheupperandlowerextremeof
theobjectislocatedandthentracingtheentireimage.After
completingthefirstthreesteps,onlytheimagelocationofthetop
extremeoftheobjecthasbeenfound.Thus,theprocessmustbe
repeatedforthepointonthebottomoftheobject.Ifthebottom
oftheobjectliesupontheprincipalaxis(asitdoesinthis
example),thentheimageofthispointwillalsolieuponthe
principalaxisandbethesamedistancefromthelensastheimage
ofthetopoftheobject.Atthispointthecompleteimagecanbefilledin.

Somestudentshavedifficultyunderstandinghowtheentireimageofanobjectcanbededucedoncea
singlepointontheimagehasbeendetermined.Iftheobjectismerelyaverticalobject(suchasthe
arrowobjectusedintheexamplebelow),thentheprocessiseasy.Theimageismerelyaverticalline.
Thisisillustratedinthediagrambelow.Intheory,itwouldbenecessarytopickeachpointontheobject
anddrawaseparateraydiagramtodeterminethelocationoftheimageofthatpoint.Thatwould
requirealotofraydiagramsasillustratedinthediagrambelow.

Fortunately,ashortcutexists.Iftheobjectisaverticalline,thentheimageisalsoaverticalline.For
ourpurposes,wewillonlydealwiththesimplersituationsinwhichtheobjectisaverticallinethathas
itsbottomlocatedupontheprincipalaxis.Forsuchsimplifiedsituations,theimageisaverticallinewith
thelowerextremitylocatedupontheprincipalaxis.
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Theraydiagramaboveillustratesthattheimageofanobjectinfrontofadoubleconcavelenswillbe
locatedatapositionbehindthedoubleconcavelens.Furthermore,theimagewillbeupright,reducedin
size(smallerthantheobject),andvirtual.Thisisthetypeofinformationthatwewishtoobtainfroma
raydiagram.Thecharacteristicsofthisimagewillbediscussedinmoredetailinthenextsectionof
Lesson5.

YourTurntoPractice
Oncethemethodofdrawingraydiagramsispracticedacoupleoftimes,itbecomesasnaturalas
breathing.Eachdiagramyieldsspecificinformationabouttheimage.Itissuggestedthatyoutakeafew
momentstopracticeafewraydiagramsonyourownandtodescribethecharacteristicsoftheresulting
image.Thediagramsbelowprovidethesetupyoumustmerelydrawtheraysandidentifytheimage.If
necessary,refertothemethoddescribedabove.

WeWouldLiketoSuggest...
Whyjustreadaboutitandwhenyoucouldbeinteractingwithit?
Interactthat'sexactlywhatyoudowhenyouuseoneofThePhysics
Classroom'sInteractives.Wewouldliketosuggestthatyoucombinethe
readingofthispagewiththeuseofourOpticsBenchInteractive.You
canfindthisinthePhysicsInteractivessectionofourwebsite.TheOptics
BenchInteractiveprovidesthelearneraninteractiveenivronmentfor
exploringtheformationofimagesbylensesandmirrors.Itslikehavingacompleteopticstoolkitonyour
screen.

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