Lens maker’s formula

1. Place a thin lens (which is made of one convex surface and one concave surface) between two
refractive indices.
2. Let na be the refractive index of one medium and and nb be the refractive index of second
medium.
3. Consider an object O placed on the principal axis of the thin lens.
4. Now consider a ray from object O incident on the convex surface of the lens at point A which
has a radius of curvature R1.
5. If there is no concave surface, it forms an image at Q then we take,
Object distance PO = -u, image distance PQ = v = x, radius of curvature R = R1
6. For convex surface, n1 = na, n2 = nb
7. According to image formation on curved surface formula,
n2/v – n1/u = (n2 – n1)/R
By substituting the values we get,
nb/x + na/u = (nb - na)/R1 -----------------(1)
8. After getting refracted at point A again the ray get refracted due to concave surface at point B
and reaches on the principal axis at point I.
Note: The image Q of object O due to the convex surface is taken as the object for the concave
surface.
Here,
Object distance PQ = u = x, Image distance = PI = v, radius of curvature = -R2
For concave surface n1 = nb, n2 = na
by substituting the values we get,
na/v – nb/x = (na - nb)/(-R2) ---------------- (2)
Add eq (1) and (2) we get,
na/v + nb/u = (nb - na)(1/R1 + 1/R2)
devide both sides by na,
1/v + 1/u = (nba - 1)(1/R1 + 1/R2)
here nba = nb/na, is called the refractive index of lens with respect to the surrounding medium.
By using sign convention we get,
1/v – 1/u = (nba - 1)(1/R1 – 1/R2)
but we k now,
1/f = 1/v – 1/u
therefore we get,
1/f = (nba - 1)(1/R1 – 1/R2)
if the surrounding medium is air then nba = n
1/f = (n - 1)(1/R1 – 1/R2) is the equation of Lens Maker’s Formula.

Note:
1. The convex lens act as converging lens (if refractive index of medium is less than refractive
index of lens)
2. The convex lens acts as diverging lens (if refractive index of medium is greater than refractive
index of lens)