EXPERIMENT NO - ___

AIM:
To find the focal length of a convex lens by plotting graphs between u and v.
APPARATUS:
An optical bench, a one foot scale, a pencil, three uprights, a convex lens, a
lens holder, two optical needles (one as object and the other to locate the image).
RAY DIAGRAM:

Real image
2F F
O F 2F

Object Image
needle needle
u v
f

Fig.1: Image formed by a convex lens

THEORY:
If u, v and f are the distance of object, the distance of image and the focal
length of a convex lens respectively, the lens equation can be written as
1 1 1
= −
𝑓 𝑣 𝑢
𝑢𝑓
⇒ 𝑣=
𝑢+𝑓
When the object is at 2F, i.e, 𝑢 = −2𝑓
(−2𝑓)𝑓 −2𝑓 2
∴ 𝑣= = = +2𝑓
−2𝑓 + 𝑓 −𝑓
Hence, the image is formed at 2F on the other side, i.e., the distance of the
image is equal to the distance of the object.
A graph of u versus v is plot and a straight-line drawn 45° with either of the x-
axis or y-axis intersects the curve line at |𝑢| = |𝑣|. Therefore, for this condition,
|2𝑓| = |𝑢| = |𝑣|
 |𝑢| |𝑣|
⇒ |𝑓| = =
2 2
From fig.2, |𝑢| = 𝑂𝐵 𝑎𝑛𝑑 |𝑣| = 𝑂𝐶
𝑂𝐵 𝑂𝐶
∴ |𝑓| = =
2 2

v
A
C

45°
45°
𝑋′ B O
u

Fig.2: A graph of u vrs v

PROCEDURE:
1. Measurement of rough focal length
In order to determine the rough focal length of the lens, a real image of a
distant object is cast on a screen. The distance between the lens and the screen
is measured with a scale, which is taken as the rough focal length of the lens.
The rough focal length is recorded in the observation no.1.
2. Setting up the uprights.
Three uprights are placed on the optical bench such that one upright is fixed
(say at 60 cm) and the other two uprights are placed on its left and right sides.
3. Setting the lens.
The lens is clamped with the holder in the fixed middle upright such that its
principal axis is horizontal and parallel to the optical bench.
4. Setting up the object needle.
One needle is mounted on either of the two uprights. The height of the object
needle is adjusted so that the tip of the needle lies on the principal axis of the
lens.
5. Setting up the image needle.
The other needle is mounted on the remaining upright. The tip of the image
needle is adjusted to lie on the principal axis too.
6. Index correction
➢ A pencil is used to correct the index error. The length of the pencil is
measured with a scale and is recorded in the observation no.2 (i.e. 𝑥).
 ➢ The pencil is placed with its ends touch both the centre of the lens and the
tip of the object needle. The distance between the lens and the needle is
recorded in the observation no. 3 (i.e. 𝑦).
➢ The pencil is placed with its ends touches both the centre of the lens and
the tip of the image needle. The distance between the lens and the needle is
recorded in the observation no. 4 (i.e. 𝑧).
➢ The index correction is calculated and is recorded in the observation no. 5
and no. 6.

No need to draw this

14 cm 14 cm

Object needle Image needle

30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Example:
𝑥 = 14 𝑐𝑚 ∆𝑢 = 𝑥 − 𝑦 = −1 𝑐𝑚
𝑦 = 15 𝑐𝑚 ∆𝑣 = 𝑥 − 𝑧 = +1 𝑐𝑚
𝑥 = 13 𝑐𝑚

7. To fill in table no. 1

➢ The object needle is placed at 23 cm from the lens.
➢ The position of the image needle is adjusted so that the image formed by
the lens is exactly at the position of the image needle. Parallax is removed.
➢ The positions of the object needle, the lens and the image needle are
recorded.
➢ The same process is repeated with the object placed at 22 cm, 21 cm, 20
cm, 19 cm, 18 cm, 17 cm and 16 cm. The object needle is approaching 1
cm towards the lens in each step meanwhile the image needle is moving
away in each step.
OBSERVATION
1. Rough focal length of the lens = ______ cm
2. Length of the pencil used as index corrector, 𝑥 = _______ cm
3. Distance between the lens and the tip of the object needle when a pencil touches
both the lens and the tip of the object needle 𝑦 = ______ cm
4. Distance between the lens and the tip of the image needle when a pencil touches
both the lens and the tip of the image needle 𝑧 = ______ cm
5. Index correction for object distance, ∆𝑢 = 𝑥 − 𝑦 = __________ cm
 6. Index correction for object distance, ∆𝑣 = 𝑥 − 𝑧 = __________ cm

7. Table 1: Table for u and v.

Observed Corrected
Position of
distance distance
Object Image
Sl. no Lens
needle needle u' = B - A v' = C - A u = u'+Δu v = v'+Δv
B
A C (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm)
(cm)
(cm) (cm)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Graph no. 1: Graph of u versus v

Paste your graph here

CALCULATION
From the graph no. 1, 𝑂𝐵 = _______ cm, 𝑂𝐶 = _______ cm
𝑂𝐵
𝑓1 = = __________𝑐𝑚
2
𝑂𝐶
𝑓2 = = __________𝑐𝑚
2
Mean of 𝑓’s,
𝑓1 + 𝑓2
𝑓= = ________𝑐𝑚
2
RESULT:
The focal length of the given convex mirror is found to be ____ cm.

(Do not leave the result blank)

PRECAUTION:
1. Tips of the object and the image needles should lie at the same height as the centre
of the lens.
2. Parallax should be removed from tip to tip by keeping the eye at a distance at least
30 cm away from the needle.
3. The image formed should be real and inverted.
4. Index correction should be applied.
SOURCES OF ERROR:
1. The uprights may not be vertical.
2. Parallax removal may not be perfect.