Image Formation by

Lenses
If a piece of glass or other transparent material takes on
the appropriate shape,
it will be capable of taking parallel rays of incident
light and either converging them to a point or appear
to diverge them from a point.

Such a piece of glass is referred to as a lens.

 Converging and Diverging
Lens
Properties of lenses are due to the refraction (bending)
of light passing thru them according to the law of
refraction.

• Convergent (Convex) Lenses—brings together rays of

light which are traveling parallel to its principal axis.
• Divergent (Concave) Lenses—separates rays of light
Converging and Diverging
Lens

Converging Diverging
Lens Lens
Real
focus

Virtual
focus
Double- Double-
convex concave
 The Focal Length of
Lenses
Converging Diverging
Focal f Lens
Lens
length f -
F
F

+
f
The focal length f is positive for a real
focus (converging) and negative for a
virtual focus.
 The Principal Focus
Since light can pass through a lens in either
direction, there are two focal points for each
lens.
Left to The principal
F F right
F F focal point F is
shown here.
Yellow F is the
other one.
Right to
Now suppose F left
light moves from F F
right to left F
instead . . .
 Types of Converging
Lenses
In order for a lens to converge light it must
be thicker near the midpoint to allow more
bending.
Double- Plano- Converging
convex convex meniscus
lens lens lens
 Types of Diverging Lenses
In order for a lens to diverge light, it must
be thinner near the midpoint to allow more
bending.
Double- Plano- Diverging
concave concave meniscus
lens lens lens
 Image Construction:
Ray
Ray 1:
1: AA ray
ray parallel
parallel to
to the
the lens
lens axis
axis passes
passes
through
through the
the far
far focus
focus of
of aa converging
converging lens
lens or
or
appears
appears toto come
come from
from the
the near
near focus
focus of
of aa
diverging
diverging lens.
lens.
Converging Diverging
Ray Lens
1 Ray 1Lens

F F
 Image Construction:
Ray
Ray 2:
2: AA ray
ray passing
passing through
through thethe near
near
focal
focal point
point ofof aa converging
converging lens lens or
or
proceeding
proceeding toward
toward the the far
far focal
focal point
point of of aa
diverging
diverging lens
lens is
is refracted
refracted parallel
parallel to
to the
the
lens
lens axis.
axis.
Converging Diverging
Ray Lens
1 Ray 1 Lens
Ray 2

F F
Ray 2
 Image Construction:
Ray
Ray 3:
3: AA ray
ray passing
passing through
through thethe center
center
of
of any
any lens
lens continues
continues in in aa straight
straight line.
line.
The
The refraction
refraction at at the
the first
first surface
surface isis
balanced
balanced by by the
the refraction
refraction at at the
the second
second
surface.
surface.
Converging Diverging
Ray Lens
1 Ray 1 Lens
Ray
3 Ray 2

Ray 2
F F
Ray
3
 Images’ Tracing Points
Draw
Draw anan arrow
arrow toto represent
represent the
the location
location ofof
an
an object,
object, then
then draw
draw any
any two
two of
of the
the rays
rays
from
from the
the tip
tip of
of the
the arrow.
arrow. The
The image
image is is
where
where lines
lines cross.
cross.
1. Is the image erect or
inverted?
2. Is the image real or
virtual?
• Real images are always on
the opposite side of the
lens. Virtual images are on
the same side.
3. Is it enlarged, diminished, or same
size?
 Object Outside 2F

F 2 Real;
F inverted;
2F F diminishe
d
1. The image is 2. The image is real;
inverted; i.e., i.e., formed by
opposite to the actual light rays in
object orientation. front of mirror.
3. The image is
diminished in size; Image
Image isis
i.e., smaller than the located
located
object. between
between FF and
and
2F
2F
 Object at 2F

F 2 Real;
F inverted;
2F F same
size
1. The image is 2. The image is real;
inverted; i.e., opposite i.e., formed by actual
to the object light rays in front of
orientation. the mirror.
3. The image is the Image
Image is
is located
located
same size as the at
at 2F
2F on
on other
other
object. side
side
 Object Between 2F and F

F 2 Real;
F inverted;
2F F enlarged

1. The image is 2. The image is real;

inverted; i.e., opposite formed by actual
to the object light rays on the
orientation. opposite side
3. The image is
enlarged in size; i.e., Image
Image is
is
larger than the object. located
located beyond
beyond
2F
2F
 Object at Focal Length F

F 2 Parallel
F rays; no
2F F image
formed

When
When the
the object
object isis located
located at
at the
the focal
focal
length,
length, the
the rays
rays of
of light
light are
are parallel.
parallel. The
The
lines
lines never
never cross,
cross, and
and no
no image
image isis
formed.
formed.
 Object Inside F

F 2 Virtual;
F erect;
2F F enlarged

1. The image is erect; 2. The image is

i.e., same orientation virtual; i.e., formed
as the object. where light does NOT
go.
3. The image is
enlarged in size; i.e., Image
Image isis located
located
larger than the object. on
on near
near side
side of
of
lens
lens
 Review of Image
Formations

Real;
Real;
Virtual;
Parallel
F F2
F 2
2
F inverted;
inverted;
erect;
rays; no
F
2F 2F
2FF F
F diminishe
same
enlarged
enlarged
image
d
size
formed

Object Outside 2F Region

 Diverging Lens Imaging
All
All images
images formed
formed by by diverging
diverging lenses
lenses are
are
erect
erect,, virtual
virtual,, and
and diminished
diminished.. Images
Images get
get
larger
larger as
as object
object approaches.
approaches.

Diverging Diverging
Lens Lens

F F
Analytical Approach to
Imaging
y F 2F
2F F -y’
f
p q

Lens Equation: Magnification:

1 1 1 y'  q
  M 
p q f y p
 Working With Reciprocals:
The lens equation can easily 11 11 11
be solved by using the  
reciprocal button (1/x) on pp qq ff
most calculators:
Possible sequence for finding f on linear
calculators:
Finding f: P 1/x + q 1/x = 1/x

Same with reverse notation calculators

might be:
Finding f: P 1/x Ente q 1/x + 1/x
r
 Alternative Solutions
It might be useful to solve the lens
equation algebraically for each of the
parameters:
11 11 11
 

pp qq ff

qf
qf pf
pf qp
qp
pp 
 qq 
 ff 

qq ff pp ff qq pp

Be
Be careful
careful with
with substitution
substitution of
of signed
signed
numbers!
numbers!
Example 3. A magnifying glass consists of
a converging lens of focal length 25 cm. A
bug is 8 mm long and placed 15 cm from
the lens. What are the nature, size, and
location of the image?
p = 15 cm; f = 25
F cm
11 11 11
F  

pp qq ff
pf (15 cm)(25 cm)
q  q = -37.5 cm
p f 15 cm - 25 cm
The
The fact
fact that
that qq is
is negative
negative means
means that
that the
the
image
image is
is virtual
virtual (on
(on same
same side
side as
as object).
object).
Example 3 Cont.) A magnifying glass
consists of a converging lens of focal
length 25 cm. A bug is 8 mm long and
placed 15 cm from the lens. What is the
size of the image?
p = 15 cm; q = -37.5
y y F cm
’ yy''  qq
F M
M   
yy pp

y'  ( 37.5 cm)

 Y’ = +20 mm
8 mm 15 cm
The
The fact
fact that
that y’
y’ is
is positive
positive means
means that
that the
the
image
image isis erect.
erect. ItIt is
is also
also larger
larger than
than
object.
object.
Example 4: What is the magnification
of a diverging lens (f = -20 cm) if the
object is located 35 cm from the center
of the lens?
First we find q . . . then
M
11 11 11 yy''  qq
F  
 M
M   
pp qq ff yy pp

pf (35 cm)(-20 cm)

q  q = -12.7 cm
p  f 35 cm - (-20 cm)
 q  ( 12.7 cm)
M  M = +0.364
p 35 cm
 Summary
AA converging
converging lens
lens isis one
one that
that refracts
refracts and
and
converges
converges parallel
parallel light
light toto aa real
real focus
focus
beyond
beyond the
the lens.
lens. ItIt is
is thicker
thicker near
near the
the
middle.
middle.

F F F The principal
F
focus is
denoted by the
red F.

AA diverging
diverging lens
lens is
is one
one that
that refracts
refracts and
and
diverges
diverges parallel
parallel light
light which
which appears
appears to to
come
come from
from aa virtual
virtual focus
focus in
in front
front of
of the
the
lens.
 Summary of Math Approach

y F 2F
2F F -y’
f
p q

Lens Equation: Magnification:

1 1 1 y'  q
  M 
p q f y p
 Summary of Sign Convention

1. Object p and image q 11 11 11

distances are positive for  

real and images negative pp qq ff
for virtual
2. Image images.
height y’ and yy''  qq
magnifi-cation M are M
M   
positive for erect negative yy pp
for inverted
3. The images.
focal length f and the radius of
curvature R is positive for converging
mirrors and negative for diverging
mirrors.