Vision Correction

Say Thanks to the Authors

Click http://www.ck12.org/saythanks
(No sign in required)
To access a customizable version of this book, as well as other
interactive content, visit www.ck12.org
CK-12 Foundation is a non-prot organization with a mission to
reduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market both
in the U.S. and worldwide. Using an open-content, web-based
collaborative model termed the FlexBook, CK-12 intends to
pioneer the generation and distribution of high-quality educational
content that will serve both as core text as well as provide an
adaptive environment for learning, powered through the FlexBook
Platform.
Copyright 2014 CK-12 Foundation, www.ck12.org
The names CK-12 and CK12 and associated logos and the
terms FlexBook and FlexBook Platform (collectively
CK-12 Marks) are trademarks and service marks of CK-12
Foundation and are protected by federal, state, and international
laws.
Any form of reproduction of this book in any format or medium,
in whole or in sections must include the referral attribution link
http://www.ck12.org/saythanks (placed in a visible location) in
addition to the following terms.
Except as otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content (including CK-12
Curriculum Material) is made available to Users in accordance
with the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0
Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-nc/3.0/), as amended and updated by Creative Com-
mons from time to time (the CC License), which is incorporated
herein by this reference.
Complete terms can be found at http://www.ck12.org/terms.
Printed: June 18, 2014
www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Vision Correction
CHAPTER
1
Vision Correction
Explain how lenses correct vision problems.
Why get an eye exam?
During a routine eye exam, your vision will be evaluated to see if you need glasses or contacts. Also, the eye doctor
checks your eyes for diseases that could lead to vision loss.
Vision Correction
You probably know people who need eyeglasses or contact lenses to see clearly. Maybe you need them yourself.
Lenses are used to correct vision problems. Two of the most common vision problems are myopia and hyperopia.
Myopia
Myopia is also called nearsightedness. It affects about one third of people. People with myopia can see nearby
objects clearly, but distant objects appear blurry. The picture below shows how a person with myopia might see two
boys that are a few meters away ( Figure 1.1).
In myopia, the eye is too long. Below, you can see how images are focused on the retina of someone with myopia
( Figure 1.2). Myopia is corrected with a concave lens, which curves inward like the inside of a bowl. The lens
changes the focus, so images fall on the retina as they should.
Farsightedness
Farsightedness is also known as hyperopia. It affects about one fourth of people. People with hyperopia can see
distant objects clearly, but nearby objects appear blurry. In hyperopia, the eye is too short. This results in images
1
www.ck12.org
FIGURE 1.1
On the left, you can see howa person with
normal vision sees two boys. The right
image shows how a person with myopia
sees the boys.
FIGURE 1.2
The eye of a person with myopia is longer
than normal. As a result, images are
focused in front of the retina (top left ). A
concave lens is used to correct myopia
to help focus images on the retina (top
right ). Farsightedness, or hyperopia, oc-
curs when objects are focused in back of
the retina (bottom left ). It is corrected with
a convex lens (bottom right ).
being focused in back of the retina ( Figure 1.2). Hyperopia is corrected with a convex lens, which curves outward
like the outside of a bowl. The lens changes the focus so that images fall on the retina as they should.
In addition to lenses, many cases of myopia and hyperopia can be corrected with surgery. For example, a procedure
called LASIK uses a laser to permanently change the shape of the cornea so light is correctly focused on the retina.
Vocabulary
concave: Curving inward like the inside of a bowl.
convex: Curving outward like the outside of a bowl.
hyperopia: Farsightedness.
myopia: Nearsightedness.
Summary
Vision problems such as myopia and hyperopia can be corrected with lenses that help focus light on the retina.
Myopia is corrected with a concave lens, while hyperopia is corrected with a convex lens.
2
www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Vision Correction
Practice
Use the resources below to answer the questions that follow.
Myopia, Hyperopia, and AstigmatismExplained at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YxffFmi4Eo (1:55)
MEDIA
Click image to the left for more content.
1. How can the shape of your eyeball cause you to be farsighted? How does this affect your focal point?
2. How can the shape of your eyeball cause you to be nearsighted? How does this affect your focal point?
3. How can an irregularly formed cornea affect your vision?
Nearsighted, Farsighted, and Reading Glasses at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iws1Mfu1k84 (1:39)
MEDIA
Click image to the left for more content.
1. What is myopia? If you had this condition, when might you wear glasses?
2. What is hyperopia? If you had this condition, when might you wear glasses?
3. What is an astigmatism? If you had an astigmatism, when might you wear glasses?
4. At what age do many people start needing reading glasses? What causes this condition?
Review
1. What is hyperopia, and what type of lens corrects it?
2. What causes myopia, and what type of lens corrects it?
References
1. Courtesy of the National Institutes of Health. Normal Vision, Myopia. Public Domain
2. Image copyright Alila Sao Mai, 2012. Myopia, Hyperopia. Used under license from Shutterstock.com
3