Optics Review

13.1-Lenses and the Formation of Images

A converging lens is a lens that is thickest in the middle and that causes
incident parallel light rays to converge through a single point after refraction.
A diverging lens is a lens that is thinnest in the middle and that causes
incident parallel light rays to spread apart after refraction.
The centre of the lens is called the optical centre (O).
The point on the principal axis where light rays parallel to the the principal
axis converge after refraction is called principal focus (F).
The principal focus of a converging lens is on the opposite side of the lens as
the incident rays.
The principal focus of a diverging lens is on the same side of the lens as the
incident rays.
13.3-Images in Lenses
The emergent ray is the ray that leaves the lens, being refracted as it goes
from the lens back into air.The emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray
but displaced sideways.
How to Locate the Image in a Converging Lens
1) A ray parallel to the principal axis is refracted through the
principal focus (F).
2) A ray through the secondary principal focus (F) is refracted
parallel to the principal axis. This rule comes from the reversibility of
light.
3) A ray through the optical centre (O) continues straight through
without being refracted. This is true because the middle part of the
lens acts like a very thin rectangular prism with no noticeable sideways
displacement.

The Imaging Properties of a Converging Lens

beyond 2F: smaller, inverted, between 2F and F, real
at 2F: same size, inverted, at 2F, real
between 2F and F: larger, inverted, beyond 2F, real

at F: no clear image
inside F: larger, upright, same side as object(behind lens), virtual
How to Locate the Image in a Diverging Lens
1) A ray parallel to the principal axis is refracted as if it had come
through the principal focus(F).
2) A ray that appears to pass through the secondary principal
focus(F) is refracted parallel to the principal axis.
3) A ray through the optical centre (O) continues straight through
on its path.
Imaging Properties are always the same: smaller, upright, virtual and on the
same side of the lens as the object.
13.4-The Lens Equations
do= distance from the object to the optical centre
di= distance from the image to the optical centre
ho= height of the object
hi= height of the image
f= focal length of the lens; distance from the optical centre to the principal
focus(F)
THIN LENS EQUATION : 1/do+1/di= 1/f
-do is always positive
-di are positive for real images meanwhile negative for virtual
-f is positive for converging but negative for divergin
THE MAGNIFICATION EQUATION: M= hi/ho = -di/do
-ho and hi are positive when measured upward from principal axis and
opposite
-magnification is positive for upright and negative for inverted
Variable

Positive

Negative

object distance (do)

always

never

image distance (di)

real image

virtual image

height of object (ho)

when measured upward when measured

downward

height of image (hi)

when measured upward when measured

downward

focal length (f)

magnification (M)

converging lens
upright

diverging lens
inverted