Unit 9: Refraction of Light in Lenses • Grade 10

Lesson 9.3
Diverging Lens
Table of Contents

Learning Competency 2
Learning Objectives 2
Suggested Time Frame 2
Essential Questions 2
Prerequisite Topic 2
Lesson Proper 3
A. Introduction to the Lesson 3
B. Discussion 9
C. Practice & Feedback 22
Assess Performance 23
Synthesis 25
Bibliography 26
 Unit 9: Refraction of Light in Lenses • Grade 10

Unit 9 | Refraction of Light in Lenses

Lesson 9.3: Diverging Lens

Learning Competency
At the end of this lesson, the given DepEd learning competency (competencies) should be
met by the students.
● predict the qualitative characteristics (orientation, type, and magnification) of
images formed by plane and curved mirrors and lenses (S10FE-IIg-50).

Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
● distinguish between a converging and diverging lens;
● apply ray diagramming techniques in describing the characteristics and positions of
images formed by lenses; and
● understand how the different types of lenses form images.

Suggested Time Frame

1 session (or approximately 50 minutes)

Essential Questions
At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to answer the following questions.

● What is the difference of diverging lens from converging lenses?

● What are the characteristics of the image produced by a diverging lens?

Prerequisite Topic
The students should know the following prerequisite topics before proceeding with the
lesson.
● Ray Diagramming on Convex lens (Science 10, Lesson 9.2: Converging Lens)

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Lesson Proper
A. Introduction to the Lesson
Start the lesson by introducing the following concepts and/or asking the following
questions to the students. The suggested activities after the questions may also be done in
class. You may use any of the suggested activities below.

1. Recall what lenses are. What is a lens and how does it produce an image?
a. Lenses are transparent materials that bend light through refraction.
b. Refracting light has numerous uses, most notable of which are in magnifying
glasses and microscopes.
c. There are two types of lenses – converging and diverging lenses.
d. Images are produced from these lenses by refracting or bending light.

2. To determine the characteristics of the image produced by a lens, one follows the
steps in constructing ray diagrams. Recall the steps in constructing ray diagrams.
a. Briefly recall the process of ray diagramming in converging lenses and
emphasize that it will be used to locate images formed by diverging lenses.
b. You can also recall Fermat’s Principle of Least Time which states that the
path which light travels is the one that uses the shortest time.
c. You may use Option A to recall the steps in ray diagramming in converging
lenses.

Option A: Ray It, Again and Again, and Again!

In this activity, the students will recall the steps in constructing convex lens ray
diagrams.

Duration: approximately 10 minutes

Teacher’s preparation:
● Prepare worksheets containing sample problems for ray diagramming.

Procedure:
1. The teacher will provide a copy of the problems which will be answered
using ray diagrams to each pair of students.
2. Before the students start doing the ray diagrams, they should fill out the
following flow chart on how to do the ray diagram on a convex lens.

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3. After doing the flowchart, they can already start doing the ray diagrams.
4. You can give the following problem. Given the illustration below, determine
the location and characteristics of the image of the arrow using ray
diagramming techniques.

Answer key:
a. At the left of the lens, inverted, enlarged and real

Teacher’s Notes
You can ask two or three groups to share their answers.

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d. Additionally, you may use lasers in Option B to demonstrate ray

diagramming in converging lenses.

Option B: Bending Light using LASERS

In this activity, students will observe what happens to light rays when it passes
through two different lenses

Duration: approximately 10 minutes

Teacher’s preparation:
● The teacher will prepare the materials below.

Materials:
● low power lasers
● converging lens
● diverging lens

Procedure:
1. Set up the materials as shown below.

Setup A

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Setup B

Setup C
2. Let the laser pass through the lenses. Trace the path of the laser when as it
passes through the lens.

Guide Questions:
1. What happened when you hit a light ray to a convex lens? The light rays
converge towards the principal axis.
2. What happened when you hit a light ray to a concave lens? The light rays
diverge away from the principal axis.

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3. What happened when the light passed through the concave lens, then to
the convex lens? The light changed direction two times.

Teacher’s Notes
You can ask three groups to show their light traces on the board.

3. Also, you may use Option C to further stimulate their attention in the process of ray
refractions in diverging lenses.

Option C: Light in Motion

In this activity, the students will trace how light rays behave when directed to a
diverging lens.

Duration: approximately 10 minutes

Quipper Reference: Lesson 9.3: Diverging Lens; warm-up activity on page 27.

Teacher’s Preparation:
● The teacher will prepare the materials below.

Materials:
● low power laser (you may provide more than 1 piece)
● any kind of concave lens
● pencil and papers

Procedure:
1. Place the lens on the paper.
2. Let the laser pass through the lens. Trace the path of the laser when as it
passes through the lens.

Guide Questions:
1. What happened to the laser rays as it passes through the lens? The light
rays move away from the principal axis of the lens.
2. What can you notice on the behavior or rays as it passed through the lens?
Do the rays converge or diverge? Why is this so? When light rays are

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directed to the lens, they are diverged. It can be attributed to the shape of
the lens.

Teacher’s Notes
You can let the students hit the diverging lens with many light rays in order for
them to see the diverging of the rays. It can also be helpful if you are going to do
this experiment in a dark room.

Web Box
1. As an alternative activity, you can ask the students to explore the following
link:

● Diverging Lens
Andrew Duffy. 2018. ‘Diverging Lens’.
http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/HTML5/Lenses.html

2. Click the ‘diverging lens’ option under the simulation. Adjust the distance of
the object from the mirror.
3. Fill out the following table based on the image formed.

Location of object Object’s description

(Concave Lens)

Between f and vertex L

O
S
T

At f L
O
S
T

Between f and 2f L

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O
S
T

At 2F L
O
S
T

Beyond 2F L
O
S
T

B. Discussion
Start the discussion of the lesson by using the flow below. You can do the suggested
activities which are incorporated below.

1. Start with the definition of a concave lens and how it is different from other lenses.
Discuss the different parts of a diverging lens. Use Slides 3 to 5 of the presentation
file to supplement the discussion. What is a diverging lens? What is the shape of a
diverging lens?
a. Diverging lenses are lenses that thin at the middle and bulk at the edges.
b. These are also known as concave lenses.
c. There are different kinds of diverging lenses, the most common is the
biconcave lens.
d. The other types of concave lens are shown below.

Fig. 1. Type of diverging lenses.

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e. Diverging lenses deflect parallel rays away from each other, making it appear
as if they diverge from the focal point.

f. The parts of a diverging lens are almost the same as the parts of a
converging lens. However, the focal points are in a different direction. You
can use Option A in order to determine the focal point of a diverging lens
using practical activity.

Option A: Focus on Me! (Focus, Focus)

In this activity, students will determine the focal point and the focal length of the
diverging lens.

Duration: approximately 5 minutes

Teacher’s preparation:
● The teacher will prepare the materials below.

Materials:
● diverging lens
● ray box with at least three rays/ at least three lasers.
● ruler

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Procedure:
1. Ask the students to set the materials up as shown below:

2. Using a ruler and a pencil, trace the refracted ray and then extend it at the
back part of the lens. The intersection of those lines is the focus.
3. Using a ruler, measure the focal point, which is the distance from the vertex
to the focus.

Helpful link/s!
Check the link/s below to help you do the activity.

Jumeirah College Science. Feb 24, 2013. ‘Finding Focal Point

For Diverging Lens.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS_CJ5B3o6E.

Teacher’s Notes
After the activity, you can already highlight that the parts of a converging lens
and a diverging lens are the same. The only thing is, the diverging lens diverges
the light rays from the focus.

2. Discuss at this point the ray diagram steps for a diverging lens. You can use Slides 6
to 9 of the presentation file to facilitate the discussion. How can a diverging lens
produce an image?

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a. The first ray is parallel to the principal axis of the diverging lens which will
refract through the lens and travel in line with the focal point. This means
that it will not pass through the focal point but its imaginary extension
extending on the object’s side will. This is known as the principal ray.
b. The second ray, the focal ray, passes towards the focus at the opposite side
and will refract through the lens and travel parallel to the principal axis. An
imaginary ray refracts and travels parallel to the principal axis back to the
side of the object.
c. The third ray passes through the center of the lens is unrefracted, this is the
central ray. It directly passes through the center without being bent.
d. The intersection of the extension of the rays determines the location and
characteristics of the image formed by the diverging lens.
e. You can use the following examples in class.

Determine the location and characteristics of the image of the arrow

using ray diagramming techniques in the given illustration below.

Solution:
Step 1 Draw the principal ray.

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Step 2 Draw the focal ray.

Step 3 Draw the central ray.

Step 4 Draw the image formed on the intersection of lines.

Therefore, the image which is erect, diminished and virtual is

formed on the same side of the lens as the object.

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Example 2
What is the orientation, size, and type of image formed from the object
positioned in front of a converging lens below?

Solution:
Step 1 Draw the principal ray.

Step 2 Draw the central ray.

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Step 3 Draw the image on the intersection of lines.

Therefore, the image which is erect, diminished and virtual is

formed on the same side of the lens as the object.

Example 3
What is the orientation, size, and type of image formed from the object
positioned in front of a diverging lens (biconcave lens) if the object’s distance
from the mirror is 15 mm and the focal point of the lens is 30 mm?

Solution:
Step 1 Draw the diagram for the situation.

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Step 2 Draw the principal ray.

Step 3 Draw the central ray.

Step 4 Draw the image on the intersection of lines.

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The image is formed on the same side of the lens as the

object. It appears upright, diminished and it is a virtual
image.

f. Use Option B as practice activity in class.

Option B: Ray It Pa More!

In this activity, the students will show the image formed by a concave lens using ray
diagrams.

Duration: approximately 10 minutes

Teacher’s preparation:
● a worksheet of a blank concave lens diagram

Materials:
● chalk or pen (different colors: red, green and blue)
● ruler

Procedure:
1. For each problem, ask three students to draw the principal ray, focal ray,
and central ray.
2. For each ray, make sure to use different colors of chalk or pen.
a. red for principal ray
b. blue for focal ray
c. green for central ray
3. You can give the following problems:

a. Given the illustration below, determine the location and

characteristics of the image of the arrow using ray diagramming
techniques.

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b. What is the orientation, size, type and location of image formed

from the diagram below?

c. An object was placed in front of a biconcave lens which has a

focal length of 0.5 mm. If the object’s distance was 0.4 mm from the
lens, what is the orientation, size, and type of the image formed?

Answer key:
a. The image is located on the same side of the lens as the object’s location. It
is erect, diminished, and virtual.
b. The image is located on the same side of the lens as the object’s location. It
is erect, diminished, and virtual.
c. The image is located on the same side of the lens as the object’s location. It
is erect, diminished, and virtual.

Teacher’s Notes
You can ask a student if there is any pattern that he/she can see with the image
produced by a convex lens.

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3. In order for the students to differentiate the image produced by a concave and a
convex lens, you can use Option C.

Option C: Convergys versus Divergys!

In this activity, the students will differentiate the image formed by a concave lens
and a convex lens

Duration: approximately 10 minutes

Materials:
● computer
● paper and pencil

Procedure:
1. Using the link below, manipulate the simulation in order for you to
determine the image formed by the lens.

● Electronic Lens
Nerd Island Studios. 2014. “Lenses and Mirrors”.
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Interactives/Refraction-
and-Lenses/Optics-Bench/Optics-Bench-Refraction-Interactive

2. Based on the ray diagrams which will be seen in the simulation, use the
following table to differentiate the image formed by a concave lens and a
convex lens.
3. The students can copy and fill out the following table:
Location of object Convex Lens Concave Lens

Between F and vertex L L

O O
S S
T T

At F L L
O O
S S
T T

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Between F and 2F L L
O O
S S
T T

At 2F L L
O O
S S
T T

Beyond 2F L L
O O
S S
T T

Answer Key:

Location of object Convex Lens Concave Lens

Between f and vertex L left of the lens L left of the lens

O upright O upright
S enlarged S reduced
T virtual T virtual

At f No image L left of the lens

O upright
S reduced
T virtual

Between f and 2f L right of the lens L left of the lens

O inverted O upright
S enlarged S reduced
T real T virtual

At 2F L right of the lens L left of the lens

O inverted O upright
S same size S reduced
T real T virtual

Beyond 2F L right of lens L left of the lens

O inverted O upright

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S reduced S reduced
T real T virtual

Guide questions:
1. What is the relationship between the distance of the object from the lens
and the size of the image? They are inversely proportional.
2. Is there any pattern in the image formation of a concave lens? Yes, the LOST
of the image is always as is.

Teacher’s Notes
You can ask several groups to present their work on the board in order for the
other groups to confirm their answers.

Web Box
Diverging Lens

Before watching the video, ask students the

following pre-viewing questions:
1. What is the shape of a diverging lens?
2. What happens to light as it passes
through a diverging lens?

Instead of just watching the video, ask the

students to take down notes, respond to
questions posted after watching the video
offline or online using forms, focus group
discussions, or other possible strategies.

The teacher may also pause the video to add

additional details or ask questions to check
understanding.

After the video, ask students the following

post-viewing questions:

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1. How can a diverging lens diverge light

rays?
2. How can you differentiate the shape
of a diverging lens and a converging
lens?
3. What are the uses of diverging
lenses?

Link to the downloadable presentation slides: 9.3 Diverging Lens

C. Practice & Feedback

Use the following strategies to assess student understanding.
1. The teacher will post a blank diagram of a concave lens. You can refer to the image
below to use. Use arrows as objects. The teacher will call different students to
answer the following problems:

a. Show the image formed when the object is at:

i. 5 centimeters
ii. 10 centimeters
iii. 15 centimeters

b. Ask one student to summarize the image formed by a convex mirror

using LOST.

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Assess Performance
Use the following activities to assess understanding.
1. Ask the students to answer the following individually on their notebooks.
Afterwards, it will be checked and graded.

a. Create a concave lens diagram with a focus of 5 cm. Show the image
formed when the object is at the following distances from the vertex. Write
the image description using LOST.
i. at the focus
ii. 5 centimeters
iii. 10 centimeters
iv. 15 centimeters
v. 20 centimeters

2. Use the Check Your Understanding section in the study guide pages 37 to 39.
Students may answer it in their notebooks and will be checked and graded
afterwards. Choose only selected items if not possible due to time.
A. Given the following diagrams of the object in each situation, identify which
region will the image appear. Also, describe the characteristic of the image
according to orientation, size, and type. Encircle the correct answer in each
item. (Note: the focal point is located at the intersection of the principal axis
and region boundary)

1. Orientation: upright / inverted

2. Size: magnified / diminished / same height
3. Type: real / virtual
4. Region the image will appear: A/B/C/D

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5. Orientation: upright / inverted

6. Size: magnified / diminished / same height
7. Type: real / virtual
8. Region the image will appear: A/B/C/D

9. Orientation: upright / inverted

10. Size: magnified / diminished / same height
11. Type: real / virtual
12. Region the image will appear: A/B/C/D

B. Complete the following anagram.

1. converging lens: bulge at middle :: diverging lens: bulge at the edges

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 Unit 9: Refraction of Light in Lenses • Grade 10

2. convex image type: real :: concave image type: virtual

3. convex image orientation: inverted :: concave image orientation: upright

3. If time permits, you can ask the students to answer the following assessments.
Recall Worksheet (Level 1) 10-item recall quiz
Appendix A1. Assess-Recall Worksheet

Comprehension Worksheet 10-points guided assessment

(Level 2) Appendix A2. Assess-Comprehension Worksheet

Application Worksheet (Level 10-points Essay

3) Appendix A3. Assess-Application Worksheet

Synthesis
Use the following strategies to the end of the session.
1. Summarize the lesson by asking the following questions.
a. What is the shape of a diverging lens? Diverging lenses are lenses that thin at
the middle and bulk at the edges. These are also known as concave lenses.
There are different kinds of diverging lenses, the most common is the
biconcave lens.
b. How can we differentiate a diverging lens and a converging lens? Diverging
lenses deflect parallel rays away from each other, making it appear as if they
diverge from the focal point. Converging lenses deflect parallel rays toward
the center, making it appear as if they converge towards the lens.
2. To further deepen understanding, you may also ask the following.
a. What devices use diverging lenses? Telescopes and binoculars are some of
the devices that use diverging lenses.
b. How do diverging lens form images? Diverging lens form images by diverging
light. Extensions of these rays then form virtual images.
c. Are there any possibility that a diverging lens may form a real image? Why or
why not? No. Due to the diverging of rays passing through a diverging lens,
only the extensions of these rays form the virtual image.
d. How do diverging lens correct myopia? Diverging lens correct myopia by
forming images of objects that are far away in focused to the optic nerve of
the myopic eye (in which the image is formed inside the eye instead of on the
optic nerve).
e. Do biconcave lens always form erect, diminished and virtual image? Prove
your answer by drawing all the possible ray diagrams. A biconcave lens

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 Unit 9: Refraction of Light in Lenses • Grade 10

always form an erect, diminished and virtual image regardless of the location
of the object.

3. As an assignment, ask your students to identify one important use of diverging lens
which is correcting nearsighted vision. What is nearsightedness and how is it
corrected?
a. Nearsightedness or myopia is a condition when the image is formed in front
of the retina where the image should supposedly be formed.
b. In order for myopia be corrected, a diverging lens is used in order for the
image be directed towards the retina.

Bibliography
Breithaupt, Jim, et.al. 2015. Essential Physics for Cambridge IGCSE. Oxford University Press.

Glover, Francisco and Quirino, Sugon. 2017. An Introduction to Physics. C&E Publishing Inc.

Hewitt, Paul G. 2010. Conceptual Physics (11th ed). New York: Pearson Education.

Laurel-Sotto, Rosario. 2005. Science in Today’s World Series. SIBS Publishing House, Inc.

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Appendix A1. Recall Worksheet (with Answer

Key)
Instructions: Choose the best answer.
Question 1 Diverging lenses deflect parallel
What do you call the lens which is thin at the rays away from each other, making
middle and bulk at the edges? it appear as if they diverge from the
focal point. They are thin at the
diverging lens middle and bulk at the edges.
converging lens
convex lens
plane lens

Question 2 Diverging lenses are lenses that

What is the other name for diverging lenses? thin at the middle and bulk at the
edges. These are also known as
concave lenses concave lenses.
convex lenses
thin lenses
plane lenses

Question 3 There are different kinds of

Which of the following is not a type of diverging diverging lenses, the most common
lens? is the biconcave lens.

plano-convex lens
biconcave lens
meniscus concave
plano-concave lens

Question 4 Diverging lenses deflect parallel

What happens to the light rays as they pass rays away from each other, making
through a diverging lens? it appear as if they diverge from the
focal point.
It deflects light rays away from a focus.
It concentrates light towards a focus.
It deflects light rays through a focus.

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It scatters light.

Question 5 The first ray is parallel to the

What ray is the first ray to be drawn in a ray principal axis of the diverging lens
diagram which is parallel to the principal axis and which will refract through the lens
is refracted by the lens? and travel in line with the focal
point. This means that it will not
principal ray pass through the focal point but its
central ray imaginary extension extending on
primary ray the object’s side will.
focal ray

Question 6 The second ray, the focal ray,

What is the second ray to be drawn in a ray passes towards the focus at the
diagram which was refracted by the lens to be opposite side and will refract
parallel to the principal axis? through the lens and travel parallel
to the principal axis.
focal ray
central ray
secondary ray
principal ray

Question 7 The third ray passes through the

What is the last ray to be drawn which passes center of the lens is unrefracted,
through the vertex of the lens? this is the central ray. It directly
passes through the center without
central ray being bent.
focal ray
secondary ray
principal ray

Question 8 The intersection of the extensions

Where will the image be formed in a ray diagram? of the rays determines the location
and characteristics of the image
at the intersection of all three rays formed by the diverging lens.
at the back of the lens
at the point where the rays come from
at the point twice the distance of the object from
the lens

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Question 9 The diverging lens always forms an

What type of image the diverging lens will form? image at the side of the object.
Therefore, it is always a virtual
virtual image.
real
illusionary
apparent

Question 10 The image formed by a diverging

Which of the following is a correct combination of lens is formed above the principal
the image characteristics formed by a diverging axis and with a smaller height.
lens? Therefore, the image formed by a
diverging lens is both upright and
upright and reduced reduced.
Inverted and enlarged
upright and enlarged
inverted and reduced

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Appendix A2. Comprehension Worksheet

(with Answer Key)
Instructions: Describe the characteristics of the image formed in each setup by completing
the table below.

Location of object Object’s description

(Concave Lens)

Between F and vertex L

O
S
T

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Beyond 2F L
O
S
T

Answer Key:

Location of object Object’s description

(Concave Lens)

Between F and vertex L left of the lens

O upright
S reduced
T virtual

Beyond 2F L left of the lens

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O upright
S reduced
T virtual

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Appendix A3. Application Worksheet (with

Answer Key)
Instructions: Answer the following questions.

Nearsightedness (or medically referred as myopia) is a common vision condition in which

you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. It occurs when
the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend or refract incorrectly.

1. The image normally forms in the retina, a sensory membrane that lines the inner
surface of the back of the eyeball and is also where rods and cones that detect color
are located. For people suffering from myopia, where do you think the image is
formed?

The image is formed in front of the retina.

2. What type of lens do you think can correct nearsightedness? Show how this type of
lens can correct the condition by sketching a simple ray diagram.

Diverging lenses can be used to correct nearsightedness. You can refer to the
following ray diagram as a reference to the answer of the student.

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Unit 9: Refraction of Light in Lenses • Grade 10

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