HO CHI MINH CITY – UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

LAB 9 REPORT

MEASURING FOCAL LENGTHS OF CONVERGENT AND

DIVERGENT LENSES

Instructor: Dr. Tran Trung Nghia

Subject: General Physics Labs
Class: CC02
School year: 2021-2022 - Semester 1

GROUP 1 MEMBERS

Students’ names ID code Lecturer’s comment

1.

2.
3. 2

4. 2

5.
 Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology General Physics Labs

MEASURING FOCAL LENGTHS OF CONVERGENT AND

DIVERGENT LENSES

I/ OBJECTIVE
1. Examine the image forming through the convergent lens. Measure its focal length. 2.
Examine the image forming through the lens system consisting of a convergent lens and
a divergent len.
3. Measure the focal length of divergent lens.

II/ THEORY
The relation of the focal length f of the convex lens with distance d and d / from optical
center of the lens to the AB object and A /B / image of AB can be written as:
1 1 1
= 𝑑 + 𝑑′
𝑓
Therefore, we have:
𝑑𝑑′
𝑓=
𝑑 + 𝑑′
Formula (12.1) and (12.2) are permutability with 𝑑 and 𝑑′ . In this experiment, we
simultaneously measure the focal length of the convergent lens len 𝑂1 and divergent
lens 𝑂2 using the optical bench.

III/ APPARATUS
- 1 optical bench 1000mm
- 1 convergent len 𝑂1
- 1 divergent len 𝑂2
- 1 light source Đ type 6V-8W
- 1 power source 6V-3A
- 1 AB object shape likes number “1” inside a circle hole of the plastic plate (H.1).
- 1 screen M 70x100mm

IV/ PROCEDURE

Page 1 Group 1’s Report

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology General Physics Labs

1. Measuring the focal length of convergent lens :

First method : Silberman method

a) Place AB near the light Đ at the mark 10cm. Next align the AB object in order
to receive the homogeneous exposure. Place the AB and the screen M with the
mutual distance less than 4f and the convergent lens is located between them.
b) Moving the convergent lens O1 and the screen M so that the lens O1 have the
same distances with AB and M until obtaining the sharp image. In this
configuration, the image has the same size as the object. (Moving the lens for a
centimeter and the screen doubles the lens’ moving distance until being near the
sharpest state, moving with millimeter scale to have exact position). Write down
the distance L0 between AB and the screen M to table 1 in the report.
c) Make replications of the measurement in (b) triple times In this case, focal
length f1 of the convergent lens O1 can be determined via:
𝑓
𝑓1𝑓 = 𝑓𝑓 (12.3)
4

Second method : Bessel method

a) Place the screen M far away AB with distance L 4. f on the optical bench (in
this experiment, the suggested values are L= 4,5f1 , L= 4,7f1, L= 4,9f1)
b) Moving the convergent lens O1 from near AB object to farther away to position
(I) at which the sharpest image A /B / is larger than the AB object on the screen M
(Figure.3a). Write down the coordinate x1 of the lens O1 at position (I) to the table
1 of the report.

Page 2 Group 1’s Report

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology General Physics Labs

c) Continue moving the convergent lens O1 farther away AB to position (II) to

obtain the sharpest image A1B1 smaller than AB on the screen M (Figure 3b).
Write down the coordinate x2 of the lens O1 at position (II) to table 1 of the report.
d) Make replication of the task (b) và (c) triple times. In the above, the
displacement a of the lens O1 from position (I) to position (II) is:
𝑎 = 𝑥2 − 𝑥1
and the focal length f1 of the convergent lens O1 can be determined by:
𝐿𝑖 2 −𝑎𝑖 2
𝑓1𝑖 =
4𝐿𝑖

2. Measuring the focal length of the divergent lens: the connecting

point method

Divergent lenses only provide the real image of the imaginary object. Therefore
to measure the focal length f2 of the divergent lens O2, we need to couple it with
another convergent lens O1 to be a coaxial lens system so that the real image A1B1
of AB object given by the convergent lens O1 located back within the focal length
|f2 |of the divergent lens O2 (Figure. 4) so the image A1B1 become the imagine
object of the lens O2 by follows:
a) Keeping position of AB object and the convergent lens O1 at the position (II)
in order to obtain the sharpest image A1B1 smaller than AB on the screen M in
Figure 12.3b. Place the divergent lens O2 on the track 4 at the back of the
convergent lens O1 and being coaxial with lens O1, apart from the screen M
distance |d2| = O2B1 < |f2| (in this experiment, the suggested values are |d 2| =
50mm,55mm,60mmm).
b) Moving the screen M farther away the divergent lens O2 to the position M/ to
obtain the sharp image A2B2 apart from divergent lens O2 distance d/2 in Figure

Page 3 Group 1’s Report

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology General Physics Labs

12.4. Make replication of this task triple times and write down the distance d/2 in
every time with the corresponding value of d2 into the table 12.2 of the report.
Focal length f2 of the divergent lens O2 can be determined by:

𝑑2 . 𝑑′′2
𝑓2 =
𝑑2 + 𝑑2′

V/ EQUATIONS
❖ Silberman’s method:
𝐿𝑜 𝑖
𝑓1𝑖 =
4
∆𝐿𝑜 𝑠𝑦𝑠
∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 = (mm)
4
∆𝑓1 = ∆𝑓1 + ∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 (mm)

❖ Bessel’s method:
𝐿𝑖 2 −𝑎𝑖 2
𝑓1𝑖 = (mm)
4𝐿𝑖
∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 2𝐿𝑚𝑖𝑑
− 𝐿 1 | ∆𝐿𝑠𝑦𝑠 + |
−2𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑑
=| | ∆𝑎𝑠𝑦𝑠 (mm)
𝑓1 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝐿2𝑚𝑖𝑑 − 𝑎2𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝐿2𝑚𝑖𝑑 − 𝑎2𝑚𝑖𝑑

∆𝑓1 = ∆𝑓1 + ∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 (mm)

❖ Connecting point method:

𝑑2𝑖 .𝑑2′
𝑖
𝑓2𝑖 = (mm)
𝑑2𝑖 + 𝑑2′
𝑖
∆𝑓2 𝑠𝑦𝑠 1 1 1 1 ′
= |𝑑 − | ∆𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 + | − | ∆𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 (mm)
|𝑓2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 | 2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 + 𝑑′2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝑑′2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 + 𝑑′2 𝑚𝑖𝑑
∆𝑓2 = ∆𝑓2 + ∆𝑓2 𝑠𝑦𝑠 (mm)

VI/ EXPERIMENTAL DATA

For the convergent lens:

Replication Silberman’s method Bessel’s method

Page 4 Group 1’s Report

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology General Physics Labs

Lo (mm) f1 (mm) f1 L (mm) a (mm) f1 (mm) f1

(mm) (mm)

1 400 100 1,333 450 155 99,153 0,721

2 396 99 0,333 470 192 97,891 0,541

3 388 97 1,667 490 218 98,253 0,179

Mean 394,667 98,667 1,111 470 188,333 98,432 0,480

For the divergent lens:

Replication Connecting point method

𝑑2 (𝑚𝑚) 𝑑2′ (𝑚𝑚) 𝑓2 (𝑚𝑚) ∆𝑓2 (𝑚𝑚)

1 -50 125 -83,333 3,506

2 -55 202 -75,578 4,249

3 -60 235 -80,571 0,744

Mean -55 187,33 -79,827 2,833

Page 5 Group 1’s Report

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology General Physics Labs

VII/ CALCULATIONS
❖ Silberman’s method:
𝐿𝑜 1 400
𝑓11 = = = 100 (𝑚𝑚)
4 4
𝐿𝑜 2 396
𝑓12 = = = 99 (𝑚𝑚)
4 4
𝐿𝑜 3 388
𝑓13 = = = 97 (𝑚𝑚)
4 4
∆𝐿𝑜 𝑠𝑦𝑠 1
∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 = = = 0,25 (𝑚𝑚)
4 4
∆𝑓1 = ∆𝑓1 + ∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 = 1,111 + 0,25 = 1,361 (𝑚𝑚)

❖ Bessel’s method:
𝐿1 2 − 𝑎1 2 4502 − 1552
𝑓11 = = = 99,153 (𝑚𝑚)
4𝐿1 4.450
𝐿2 2
− 𝑎2 2 4702 − 1922
𝑓12 = = = 97,891 (𝑚𝑚)
4𝐿2 4.470
𝐿3 2 − 𝑎3 2 4902 − 2182
𝑓13 = = = 98,253 (𝑚𝑚)
4𝐿3 4.490
∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 2𝐿𝑚𝑖𝑑 1 −2𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑑
=| 2 − | ∆𝐿𝑠𝑦𝑠 + | 2 | ∆𝑎𝑠𝑦𝑠
𝑓1 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑚𝑖𝑑 − 𝑎2𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝐿𝑚𝑖𝑑 − 𝑎2𝑚𝑖𝑑
2.470 1 −2.192
=| − |.1 + | |.1
4702 − 1922 470 4702 − 1922
=0,005

⇒ ∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 = 0,005 . 𝑓1 𝑚𝑖𝑑 = 0,005 .97,891 = 0,489 (𝑚𝑚)

∆𝑓1 = ∆𝑓1 + ∆𝑓1 𝑠𝑦𝑠 = 0,480 + 0,489 = 0,969 (mm)

Page 6 Group 1’s Report

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology General Physics Labs

❖ Connecting point method:

𝑑21 . 𝑑2′ 1 (−50). 125
𝑓21 = = = −83,333 (𝑚𝑚)
𝑑21 + 𝑑2′ 1 (−50) + 125
𝑑22 . 𝑑2′ 2 (−55). 202
𝑓22 = ′ = = −75,578 (𝑚𝑚)
𝑑22 + 𝑑22 (−55) + 202
𝑑23 . 𝑑2′ 3 (−60). 235
𝑓23 = ′ = = −80,571 (𝑚𝑚)
𝑑23 + 𝑑23 (−60) + 235
∆𝑓2 𝑠𝑦𝑠 1 1 1 1 ′
=| − | ∆𝑑2 𝑠𝑦𝑠 + | ′ − | ∆𝑑2 𝑠𝑦𝑠
|𝑓2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 | 𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝑑 ′ ′
2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 + 𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 + 𝑑2 𝑚𝑖𝑑
1 1 1 1
=| − |.1 + | − |.1
−55 −55 + 202 202 −55 + 202
=0,0268

⇒ ∆𝑓2 𝑠𝑦𝑠 = 0,0268 . 𝑓2 𝑚𝑖𝑑 = 0,0268 . 75,578 = 2,025 (𝑚𝑚)

∆𝑓2 = ∆𝑓2 + ∆𝑓2 𝑠𝑦𝑠 = 2,833 + 2,025 = 4,858 (𝑚𝑚)

VIII/ CONCLUSION
● Silberman’s method: 𝑓1 = 𝑓1 ± ∆𝑓1 = 98,667 ± 1,361 (𝑚𝑚)

● Bessel’s method: 𝑓1 = 𝑓1 ± ∆𝑓1 = 98,432 ± 0,969 (𝑚𝑚)

● Connecting point method: 𝑓2 = 𝑓2 ± ∆𝑓2 = −79,827 ± 4,858 (𝑚𝑚)

Page 7 Group 1’s Report