Lenses

Lenses
 Snell’s Law applies to light as it travels from
the air into the lens and back into air.

 Remember that light rays are always reversible

– I see you – You see me.
The lensmaker’s formula also applies to
lenses as it does for mirrors.

 1/do + 1/di = 1/f

 di/do = si/so

 If the image is virtual di and si are

negative.
•Rules for Lenses
•In parallel – Out through the focal point
•In through the focal point – Out parallel
•In to the middle of the lens – Out thru the
middle of the lens
•Light always goes toward the fatter part of
the lens
Parallel Light through a
Convex Lens
Convex Lens

Convex lens
Converging lens
Fat in the middle lens
Gathering light lens
Magnifying lens
Images for Lenses

 Real images are always inverted and on

the other side of the lens from the object.
They can be projected onto a screen and
actually have light rays meeting at the
image.

 Virtual images are always erect and are

located on the same side of the lens as the
object.
6 Cases for convex lenses

1 - Object at ∞
2- Object beyond 2f
3- Object at 2f
4- Object between f and 2f
5- Object at f
6- Object closer than f
http://webphysics.ph.msstate.edu/javamirror/ipmj/java/clens
/index.html
Case 6 for a Convex Lens
Convex Lens – case 6
Concave Lens
concave lens
diverging lens
skinny in the middle lens
spreads out
the light lens
wide angle lens
all images are smaller lens
and f is negative
Wide Angle Lens = Concave Lens
Concave Lens
 The focal length for a plane lens is infinity!
 Q - As the curvature of the lens increases,
what happens to the focal point?

 A lens made out of diamond!

 Q - As the index of refraction for a lens
increases, what happens to the focal point?
 Blue light undergoes the greatest refraction –
See reference tables.
 Q– Which color will have the longest focal
point in a convex lens?

 Demo – overhead projector and smoke.

Focal Point for different colors
Chromatic Aberration
 Different colors refract differently. They
have different focal points. This is a
problem when looking through other
media like glass. This problem can be
solved by coating the lens or by using a
combination of lenses of different kinds of
glass.
Spherical Aberration
 When light rays pass through the edges of
a lens, they do not form clear images.
This problem may be solved by using only
the center of the lens or by using a
combination of lenses.
The EYE 1. Cornea
2. Iris
3. Pupil
4. Lens
5. Muscles
6. Retina
7. Blind
Spot
Far Sighted

What lens
would you
use to move
the image
in?
Far Sighted
Near Sighted

What lens would

you use to move
the image out?
Near Sighted