SARASWATI VIDYA NIKETAN

FORM 4
PHYSICS
DATE: 06-30-2020

Refraction of light by Spherical Lenses

Refraction is the change in direction of light when it passes from one medium to another. The working of a lens
is based on the refraction of light when they pass through it. Lens is a piece of transparent glass bound by two
spherical surfaces and is used to magnify objects. They are of two types convex and concave. The image
produced by convex lens is enlarged and the image produced by concave lens is diminished.

Convex lens: This lens bulges out at the centre and is

thinner at the edges, i.e. the two sides.

Concave lens: This lens is thinner at the centre and thick

at the two sides.

Optical centre: The centre point of a lens is called optical centre. The ray of light passing through optical centre
goes straight and does not deviate.

Principal axis: A line passing straight through the optical centre in such a way that it is perpendicular to its
sides from the centre.

Principal focus of a convex lens: It is a point on the principal axis of the convex lens where all the light rays
parallel to the principal axis converge after passing through the lens.
If the light rays are coming from left hand side they will converge at right hand side of the lens and vice versa.
That is why, a lens has two foci. They are at equal distance from the optical centre.

Focal length of a convex lens: The distance between the optical centre and principal focus of a lens is
called focal length.
Focal length of a lens depends on the refractive index of the glass and its curvature. In case of higher refractive
index, focal length will be short. Similarly, if the curvature of the lens is more than also the focal length will be
short.

A convex lens is also called converging lens as the parallel beam of light rays passing through it converges at a
single point. This can also be shown through an experiment. Place a piece of paper on the ground during
sunshine. Now hold a convex lens at some distance above the paper in such a way that a sharp image of sun is
formed on the paper. This is the point where all the sunlight is concentrated and the parallel light rays of the sun
get converged. In a while you will notice that the heat energy of the focused sunlight has burned a hole in the
paper where the image of sun was formed.

Principal focus of concave lens:

All the light rays after passing through the concave lens diverge and when produced backwards appear to meet
at a point on the principal axis of the lens. This point is known as principal focus of a concave lens.

Thus refracted rays appear to diverge from the focus. Concave lens is opposite to convex lens. The parallel
beam of light rays is diverged after passing through it. Concave lens also has two foci. If the parallel light rays
fall from the left side than they appear to diverge  from a point of the left side only and if the light rays fall from
the right hand side that they appear to diverge from a point on right hand side.

A concave lens is also known as diverging lens. The image formed by this lens is virtual.

Focal length of concave lens:

The distance between optical centre and principal focus is called focal length of a concave lens.

Rules for obtaining images formed by convex lens

In convex lens, the image is always formed at a point where at least two refracted light rays meet.
Rule 1: A ray of light which is originally parallel to the principal axis passes through the focus after refraction
through the lens.
Rule 2: A ray of light passing through the optical centre of the convex lens does not bent after refraction but
goes straight. Also, a ray of light going along the path of principal axis of a convex lens also goes straight and
does not deviate.

Rule 3: When a ray of light passes through the focus of the convex lens then it becomes parallel to the principal
axis after refraction through the lens.

Types of images formed by a convex lens

The type of image formed by a convex lens depends on the position of the image.

Case 1: If the object is placed between optical centre and focus (between C and F’) then the first ray of light
starting from the top of the object is parallel to the principal axis. Therefore, as per the rule, it passes through
another focus after refraction through the lens. Another ray of light from the object passes through the optical
centre of the lens and thus as per the rule goes straight after refraction through the lens. Thus, both the light rays
diverge after refraction through the lens and does not meet. Therefore, both the refracted rays are produced
backwards so that they meet at a point to form an image.

The image formed will be: Behind the object, virtual and erect and larger than the object.
Case 2: When the object is placed at the focus of the convex lens (at F’) then it means that the object is placed
at the distance equal to the focal length of the lens.
One ray of light becomes parallel to the principal axis of the lens and thus, passes through another focus after
refraction through the lens. Another ray of light passes through the optical centre of the lens and goes straight.
Therefore, the image formed is: At infinity, Real and inverted, highly enlarged.
Case 3: When the image is placed between focus and distance less than twice the focal length (F’ and 2F’) then
a ray of light parallel to the principal axis of the lens passes through another focus (F) after refraction through
the lens. Another ray of light passes through optical centre of the lens and goes straight.

Therefore, the image formed is: Real and inverted, Larger than object and beyond 2F.
Case 4: When the object is paced at the distance equal to twice the focal length ( at 2F’) of the convex lens then
one ray of light becomes parallel to the principal axis and passes through another focus of the lens after
refraction. Another ray of light passes though optical centre and goes straight after refraction. Both the refracted
light rays meet at 2F` on another side.

The image formed is: Real and inverted, same size as that of an object.
Case 5: When the object is placed at the distance greater than twice the focus (beyond 2F’) one ray of light
becomes parallel to principal axis and passes through focus after refraction through the lens and another light
ray passes through optical centre and goes straight after refraction.
The image formed is: Between F and 2F, Real and inverted, Smaller than object.
Case 6: When the object is placed at infinity, the light rays become parallel after reaching the lens.

The image formed is: At the focus on another side, Real and inverted, highly diminished.
Sign convention for spherical lenses
According to the New Cartesian Sign Convention:

i) Distance is measure from the optical centre of the lens.

ii) The distance measured in the direction same as that of the incident ray are taken as positive.

iii) The distance measured against the direction of incident ray is taken as negative.

iv) The distance measured upward and perpendicular to the principal axis is taken as positive.

v) The distance measured downward and perpendicular to the principal axis is taken as negative.

vi) The object is always placed on the left hand side of the lens.

vii) Focal length of convex lens is considered positive.

viii) Focal length of concave lens is considered negative.

Lens formula
1/image distance (v) – 1/object distance (u) = 1/ focal length (f)
Magnification produced by the lens:
The size of the image relative to the object is given by the linear magnification. The ratio of the height of the
image to the height of the object is called linear magnification.
Magnification (m) = height of image (h2) /height of object (h1)
Another formula in terms of distance;

Magnification = image distance/object distance

Rules for obtaining images formed by concave lens
Rule 1: A ray of light parallel to the principal axis of the concave lens appears to be coming from focus after
refraction through the lens.

Rule 2: A ray of light passing through the optical centre of the concave lens goes straight after refraction
through the lens.

Rule 3: A ray of light going towards the focus on another side of the concave lens becomes parallel to the
principal axis after refraction through the lens.

Formation of images by concave lens

The image formed by concave lens is always: Virtual, Erect and Diminished.
Case 1: When an object is placed anywhere between optical centre and infinity, the image formed is between
optical centre and focus.
Case 2: When an object is placed at infinity, the image formed by concave lens will be at focus.
Power of lens
A measure of the degree at which a lens can converge or diverge, light rays falling on it is called power of lens.

Power of lens (P) = 1/ focal length of the lens (f, in meters)

A lens of short focal length has more power compared to a lens with long focal length. The SI unit of the power
of lens is dioptre.

Power of combination of lenses

The power of combination of lenses is equal to the algebraic sum of power of individual lenses.

P = p1 + p2 + p3……..