Lab 10/11 Phys 214 & 316 Lenses

Theory

As shown in the figure on the right, rays of light from a small source (also called a point
source) spread out like the ripples from a pebble dropped in a pond. These ripples, called wave
fronts, are perpendicular to the light rays. The light rays are indicated by the solid straight lines,
the wave fronts by the dashed lines. When the rays pass through a convex lens, the change in
the speed of the light causes the ray to be bent or refracted. This will also change the curvature
of the wave front. If this change is large enough, the rays will be brought to a focus and a real
image will be formed as shown. A real image can be projected on a screen.

Rays from a very distant source, (an "infinite" distance) reach a lens as parallel rays in a
infinite amount of time if the source is at infinity. Very distant just means that the distance from
the source to the lens is large compared to the diameter of the lens. The important idea is that
we can treat them as parallel rays even if they are not infinitely far away. After the lens, the rays
are brought to a focus, called the principle focus, and labeled F in the diagram on the right. The
distance from F to the center of the lens is called the focal length, f, of the lens. For a diverging
( also known as concave) lens, rays entering the lens parallel to the principle axis diverge as they
leave the lens in such directions that they appear to come from a point behind the lens. This

1|Page
point is the virtual principal focus. For a real source near a
lens, the rays diverge as they leave the source.

2|Page
 Using simple geometry, it is possible to
determine the position and size of an image
formed by a thin lens. This is shown on the right.
You start by drawing two rays whose complete
paths we know, starting from the object point
focusing at the corresponding image point. In the
top diagram, one ray is shown leaving the tip of the
arrow object 00' and directed parallel to the
principal axis. After refraction by the lens this ray
passes through F. Another ray also from the tip of
the arrow is drawn through the optical center of
the lens. For a thin lens, this ray is continues on a
straight path. The intersection of the two rays at I
locates the image point which corresponds to the
object point 0. The other image points corresponding to additional objects points may be located
by similar constructions, thus giving the complete image II'.

The location of the image for an object placed closer to a convex lens than the principal
focus is shown in the middle diagram (b). Under this situation, the positive lens can not change
the curvature of the wave front to cause convergence that will bring the rays to a real focus. It is
seen that the rays from a particular point on the object diverge after passing through the lens. If
the refracted rays are traced backward, they intersect at a virtual focus. The entire virtual image
is represented conventionally by the dashed arrow. Such a virtual image can not be formed on a
screen, but may be viewed by looking into the lens from the right of the figure. Notice that it will
appear upright and enlarged. This is how a magnifying glass works.

3|Page
 The image of an object formed by a concave lens is found by a similar construction as
shown in (c). Here the ray that is parallel to the principal axis diverges from the virtual focus F
after passing through the lens. The image is virtual in this case.

It is possible to find the location and size of an image by algebraic means as well. Analysis shows
that the focal length f of a thin lens, the distance p of a object to the lens, and the distance q of
the image to the lens are related by the equation:

This is called the lens equation. (you really have to mind your p's and q's !)

Since there is only one equation for lens, and you know that nothing is really that simple,
there are some sign conventions you must follow. If you follow these guidelines, it won't matter
if you are using convex or concave lens, real images/object, or virtual images/objects.

4|Page
1. The focal length is positive for a convex (fat in the middle) lens, and negative for a concave
(thin in the middle) lens. This is also why convex lenses are called positive lenses, and
concave lenses negative lenses.

2. The object distance is positive if it is on the side of the lens from which the light is coming
(normally this is the case, but when lenses are used in combination, it may not be so);
otherwise, it is negative.

3. The image distance is positive if it is on the opposite side of the lens from where the light
is coming; if it is on the same side, q is negative. Equivalently, the image distance is
positive for a real image and negative for a virtual image.

4. Object and image heights, hp and hq, are positive for points above the axis, and negative
for points below the axis.

We won't measure heights in the lab, but it is important to point out that the
magnification (m) of a lens is related to these heights by

For a upright image, m is positive. For a inverted image, m is negative.

5|Page
Procedure

PART A:

We will be utilizing the following simulation to mimic a traditional lens experiment set up:

https://simbucket.com/lensesandmirrors/

Set the simulation up to match the following parameters:

Object Height: 20 cm
Object distance: 30 cm
Image distance : 35 cm

You can alter the image distance by clicking and dragging the object itself until you get it to about
30cm.
The image distance can be changed by moving the focus slider at the bottom, and likewise, the
object height can be changed by the corresponding slider.
Note that the object height will remain constant throughout this part!

Record these values in the table below as well as the focal length that is shown on the simulation
(This value will likely not change much throughout your trials).

In addition to the experimental focal length, calculate what the theoretical focal length should be
for the values of p and q you got in your trial. Show calculations!!!

Repeat this process for an object distance of 40, 60, and 70 cm.

6|Page
Data & Analysis

Object Image Object Image Focal

distance(cm) distance(cm) height(cm) height(cm) length(cm)
30 35.7 20.3 -24 17.5
40 40 20.3 -20.2 20
60 30 20.3 -10.1 20.2
70 28.2 20.3 -8.1 20

Calculate the average THEORETICAL focal length for each trial by using the lens equation. Then,
find the average of these quantities.

For trail 1:

P = 30 cm
Q= 35.7
As

Putting values in the equation we get

F= 17.5 cm

7|Page
For trail 2:

P= 40cm
Q= 40 cm
Putting values in the formula:

F= 20 cm

For trail 3:
P=60
Q=30

Putting values we get

F= 20.2 cm

For trail 4:
P= 70
Q= 28.2

Putting values we get

F= 20 cm

Average focal length = 17.5+20+20.5+20/4

Focal length= 19.5 cm

8|Page
PART B:

You have to find out the focal length of concave lens.

Here is a set up of this experiment on youtube (you can watch this to give you a better idea of what
this experiment actually looks like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJYh-G2lSrs

We will be using the below diagrams and analyzing them to determine the focal length of both the
convex lens in the first case, and the concave lens in the second case.

Note that on the diagram below:

Candle -> object

“+” -> location of the positive lens
Screen (black rectangle) -> image location

9|Page
 Fill out the table with information from the above diagram and use these values to calculate
the focal length of the lens. Show Calculations!!!

focal length of convex lens on optical bench

Position of Position of Position of Image Object focal

Object Lens (real) distance, distance, length
Image di or q do or p
5cm 25cm 45 cm 40cm 20cm 13.3

Working:
Now as we know that
F= pq/p+q
F= 40*20/40+20
F= 13.3 cm

Now we have a set up of an optical bench with an object, negative lens, positive lens, image so the
image is focused on the screen.

10 | P a g e
In order to find out focal length for negative lens you have to know focal length of positive lens
(which is what you just calculated)

Focal length of positive lens = 13.3 cm

A hint for this part:

Remember for the suggested set up, the object for the positive lens is the image of the negative
lens. Try to work backwards!

11 | P a g e
focal length of negative lens

(A) (B) (C) (D) (F) (G) (H) (I) (J)

Position of Position of Position of Position of Image Object Image Object focal length of
candle negative positive real distance distance distance distance for negative lens
lens lens image for + lens for + for - lens - lens
lens

5cm 10cm 24cm 56cm 32cm 20cm 46cm 5cm 4.50 cm

As the object distance for the negative lens is 5cm and similarly the
image distance for the negative lens is 46cm
So we can calculate the focal length by
F=p*q/p+q
F= 5*46/5+46
F= 4.50cm

12 | P a g e
Post Lab Questions

1. A student who follows the procedure outline for this experiment records the following data: Position of the object (wire
gauze) on the meter stick is the 5.00 cm mark, position of the lens is at the 32.00 cm mark, position of the image (screen)
at the 92.7 cm mark. What is the focal length of the lens?
As it is given object distance from the lens p=32-5= 27 cm
Image distance q from the lens q = 60.7 cm
So for focal length

F= 18.68 cm
2. A student uses a lens that has a focal length of 20.0 cm and places an object 12.0 cm from the lens. Locate and describe
the image he could expect to observe.
As f= 20cm
P= 12cm

From the above formula

q= p*f/p-f
q= 20*12/12-20

q= -30 cm
the image will be real and inverted.

13 | P a g e
 3. You are trying to focus and observe Moon with your lenses. The distance between your eye and the positive lens is 15 cm.
What is the focal length of this lens?
As the moon is very far distance from the earth, so therefore we can assume that light rays are
coming from infinity
So p=15 cm
q= infinity
putting in the formuka we get

f= 15cm

14 | P a g e