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Convex Lens

A convex lens is thicker at the center and converges light to a focal point, with various applications including in the human eye, magnifying glasses, and cameras. It differs from a concave lens, which diverges light and produces virtual images. The document also outlines the image formation by convex lenses based on the object's position relative to the lens.

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19 views4 pages

Convex Lens

A convex lens is thicker at the center and converges light to a focal point, with various applications including in the human eye, magnifying glasses, and cameras. It differs from a concave lens, which diverges light and produces virtual images. The document also outlines the image formation by convex lenses based on the object's position relative to the lens.

Uploaded by

shrubini1122
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Convex lens and its ray diagrams

Convex lens

Definition:

This type of lens is thicker at the center and thinner at the edges.

An optical lens is generally made up of two spherical surfaces. If those surfaces are bent outwards, the
lens is called a biconvex lens or simply convex lens. These types of lenses can converge a beam of light
coming from outside and focus it to a point on the other side. This point is known as the focus and the
distance between the center of the lens to the focus is called the focal length of convex lens. However, if
one of the surfaces is flat and the other convex, then it is called a plano-convex lens.

Difference between convex and concave lens:

There is another type of lens known as concave lens. The major differences between concave and
convex lens two are:

CONVEX lens

This lens converges a straight beam of light.

This lens is thicker at the centre and gets thinner as we move towards the edges.

Concave lens

This lens diverges a straight beam of light.

This lens is thinner at the centre and gets thicker as we move towards the edges.

A concave lens will always produce diminished, upright and virtual image of the object in front of it. But
the nature of the image produced by a these lenses depends upon the position of the object. It can form
both real and virtual images depending on where the light is coming from.
Uses of convex lens

These are used for a variety of purposes in our day-to-day lives. For example,

The lens in the human eyes is the prime example. So the most common use of the lens is that it helps us
to see.

Another common example of the use of this type of lens is a magnifying glass. When an object is placed
in front of it at a distance shorter than the focal length of the lens, it produces a magnified and erect
image of the object on the same side as the object itself.

It is used to correct Hypermetropia or long-sightedness.

It is used in cameras because it focuses light and produces a clear and crisp image.

More generally these are often used in compound lenses used in various instruments such as magnifying
devices like microscopes, telescopes and camera lenses.

A simple kind of these lenses can focus light into an image, but that image won’t be of a high quality. For
correcting the distortions and aberrations, it is better to combine both types of lenses.

Guidelines for rays falling on the concave and convex lenses

When a ray strikes concave or convex lenses obliquely at its pole, it continues to follow its path.

When a ray, parallel to the principal axis strikes concave or convex lenses, the reflected ray passes
through a focus on the principal axis.

When a ray, passing through focus strikes concave or convex lenses, the reflected ray will pass parallel
to the principal axis.

Image Formation by Convex Lens

Convex Lens

When an object is placed at infinity, the real image is formed at the focus. The size of the image is much
smaller than that of the object.
When an object is placed behind the center of curvature, the real image is formed between the center
of curvature and focus. The size of the image is the same as compared to that of the object.

When an object is at the center of curvature, the real image is formed at the other center of curvature.
The size of the image is the same as compared to that of the object.

When an object is placed in between the center of curvature and focus, the real image is formed behind
the center of curvature. The size of the image is larger than that of the object.
When an object is placed at the focus, a real image is formed at infinity. The size of the image is much
larger than that of the object.

When an object is placed in between focus and pole, a virtual image is formed. The size of the image is
larger than that of the object.

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