Object

To determine the focal length of a convex lens by the distant object method.

Apparatus Required
lens. lens holder, a small screen fixed to a stand and a metre scale.
A thin convex a

Principle
The light rays coming from a distant object such as the sun or a distant tree or a distant building can
be considered to be parallel to each other. A parallel beam of light incident on a convex lens after
refraction converges at a point on its other side where a real, inverted image of very small size is
formed at the focus of the lens. The distance between thin lens and the focus gives the focal length
of the lens.
Convex lens

Principal axis

Image formation of a distant object by a convex lens

Procedure
1. Take thin convex lens and fix it
a on a lens holder. Place it on the table near an open
window through which ample
sunlight enters. Place the face of the lens towards a distant
tree/poletall building.
2. Take a screen and fix it on a stand. Adjust the
position of the screen by shifting its
back and forth in front of the convex lens to get a sharp and bright image of aposiu dista
ant
object. If the sunlight is allowed to incident directly on the lens, a
can also be obtained on
bright image of the su
the screen. Note the position of the lens, L and the Scree,
3.
Repeat the experiment two more times by obtaining the f
bright images on the scree
different distant
two
objects.
4. Record the
position of the lens and the distant object in each case.
 Rays from a
distant Convex
tree
lens

Screen

Principal axis

Determination of the focal length of given convex lens

bservations

Least count of the metre scale cm

=

Position of the lens, L Position of the sereen, S Distance between the lens and the screen,
S.No.
(in cm) Sin cm)
in cm)
Cm
1.
Cm
2.
Cm
3.
cm
Mean focal length, f=,

Result
cm
convex lens=.
The approximate value of focal length of given

Precautions
1. Lens should be placed vertically.
2 Clean the lens before taking observations.
on the
screen.

the sun/distant object

Focus the image of the naked eye.
never be seen directly with
4. TIne image of the
* sun should