S3 Physics notes (Lens)

Chapter 3 Lenses
3.1 Convex and concave lenses
A lens bends light rays by _________________.

________________ lenses are thicker in the middle. They bend light rays inwards / outwards.

________________ lenses are thinner in the middle. They bend light rays inwards / outwards.

Draw the emerging rays in the following diagrams.

Convex lens Concave lens

centre centre

A light ray directed towards the centre of a lens does not change its _______________.

Classwork 1
Determine whether each of the following is a convex lens or a concave lens.
A B C D E

Convex lens Concave lens

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)

A convex lens converges parallel light rays to a point (principal focus). It is also called a
____________________ lens.

A concave lens diverges parallel light rays from a point (principal focus). It is also called a
____________________ lens.

A lens (convex or concave) has some key features as follow:

(a) _____________________ (C) the centre of the lens

(b) Principal axis passing through the ____________________ and perpendicular to the
lens

(c) _____________________ the point that rays parallel to the principal axis converge to (for a
(F or F) convex lens) or appear to diverge from (for a concave lens) after
passing through the lens

(d) Focal length (f) the distance of the ____________________ from the optical centre

(e) Focal plane passing through the ____________________ and perpendicular to the
principal axis

A lens with ______________ curvature or ______________ refractive index has a shorter focal length.

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)

3.2 Images formed by a convex lens

Real image and virtual image formed by a convex lens
_________________ image
 light rays from the object converge to a point X after passing through the lens.
 Light rays really pass through point X.
 Can be capture on a screen.
_________________ image
 light rays from the object appear to diverge from a point Y after passing through the lens. By extended
the light rays backward, the extended rays meet at such point.
 No light rays actually pass through point Y.
 Cannot be capture on a screen.

X Y
object
object virtual
real
image image

When we see an image, our brains perceive the object at that position as the light rays diverge from or
appear to diverge from there.

Light rays really

diverge from a
real image.

image
I
object I

Light rays appear

to diverge from a
virtual image.
I
image
object
I

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)

Construction rules for a convex lens

The construction rules for a convex lens are as follows:

Rule 1
A ray ______________ to the principal axis is bent
so that it passes through the
F C
______________________ F on the other side of F
the lens.

Rule 2
A ray passing through the
______________________ F emerges
______________ to the principal axis. F C F

Rule 3
A ray passing through the
____________________ travels straight on.
F C F

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)

Construction of an image by drawing ray diagram

In a ray diagram, a convex lens is usually represented by the symbol below:

The image formed by a convex lens can be located by using the construction rules. The following shows
two examples.
Object beyond F Object within F


O
O
F F F F

 

O
O
F F F F

I
O

I O
F F  F F

 An arrow standing upright on the _______________________ is usually drawn to represent the object.

 Draw two rays from the tip of the object using construction rules.

 The intersecting point of the refracted rays locates the __________ image of the object’s tip.

 Otherwise, use dotted lines to extend the rays backwards to locate the ____________ image.

 Draw the real image as a vertical solid arrow with its tail on the __________________.

 Draw a ___________ arrow as the virtual image.

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)

All rays from a point on an object that are refracted by the convex lens converge to, or appear to come
from the ____________ of that point.

Parallel rays always converge to a point on the ___________________.

Classwork 2
In the following diagram, an object is placed in front of a convex lens with focal length
10 cm. Locate the image.

5 cm

object

Classwork 3
An object O is placed in front of a convex lens and a virtual image I is formed.
(a) Complete the rays in the diagram.
(b) What is the focal length of the lens?

10 cm

I O

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)

Classwork 4
Complete the following ray diagrams.
(a) focal
(b)
plane

F F

Position and nature of images

The following terms are used to describe the nature of an image:

 real or _______________,

 erect or _______________,

 magnified, same size or _______________.

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)

Images formed by a convex lens

(i) Distant object (object at infinity)
parallel rays from
a distant object position: on focal plane
F
nature: real, inverted, diminished

F I

(ii) Object beyond 2F

position: between F and 2F
nature: ________________________
O
________________________
2F F F I 2F

________________________

(iii) Object at 2F

position: _______________________

O
2F
nature: ________________________
2F F F
I ________________________
________________________

(iv) Object between F and 2F position: beyond 2F

nature: ________________________
O
2F
________________________
2F F F
I
________________________

(v) Object at F

O
position: at infinity (i.e. no image formed)
F F

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)
(vi) Object within F
position: on the same side of the object

I
nature: ________________________
O

F F
________________________

________________________

All real images formed by a convex lens are erect / inverted and on the same side as / the opposite side of
the object.

All virtual images formed by a convex lens are erect / inverted and on the same side as / the opposite side
of the object.

The ______________________________ m of an image is defined as:

height of image (image size)

linear magnification = =
height of object (object size)

hi v
m= =
ho u

Classwork 5
An object is placed at 20 cm in front of a convex lens and a real image is formed. The linear magnification
of the image is 1.5. By drawing a ray diagram, find the focal length of the lens.

10 cm

5 cm

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 S3 Physics notes (Lens)

Brightness of images
Covering a lens partially changes the ________________ of the image only. Since less light forms the
image, the image becomes ______________.

Lens uncovered Lens half covered

Some light is blocked

by the card.

Similarly, changing the focal length of a lens can change the brightness of the image. When the same
amount of light is distributed over an image, a smaller image is
__________________ than a larger image.

O f1 O f2

A convex lens of longer focal

length produces a larger,
hence dimmer image.

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