THIN LENSES: BASICS

OBJECTIVE: To study and verify some of the laws of optics applicable to thin lenses by determining the focal lengths of three such lenses two conve!" one concave# by several methods$ T%EO&': Each point of a self(luminous ob)ect or reflection ob)ect O# is a source of light with a large number of rays emanating from it in all directions$ * lens will alter the direction of those rays which stri+e it" and an image I# of the ob)ect may be formed$ If rays from a single point on the ob)ect stri+e different parts of the lens and eventually all intersect at some other point in space" a real image is formed$ &eal image formation is illustrated in ,ig$ -$ * virtual image is formed if the pro)ections of the rays from a single point on the ob)ect intersect at a single point in space$ * screen placed at this point will not reveal an image" but the image is visible to the brain if observed from the proper position such that the diverging rays enter the eye$ .ee ,ig /$ * thin lens is one whose thic+ness is negligible in comparison to the image and ob)ect distances 0object distance is measured from ob)ect to lens1 image distance is measured from lens to image position2$ * convex lens is thic+er in the center than at the edges$ .uch a lens is also called a positive lens or a converging lens$ * concave lens is thinner at the center than at the edges$ It is also called a negative lens or a diverging lens$ The a!is of a lens is the line drawn through the centers of curvature of its refracting surfaces$ If a beam of rays parallel to the a!is is incident on a converging lens" the beam is brought to a focus at a point on the a!is called the focal point F#$ If a beam of rays parallel to the a!is is incident on a diverging lens" the rays diverge as though radiated from a point on the a!is$ This point is also called the focal point F#$ The distance along the a!is from the focal point to the center of the lens is +nown as the focal length f#$ * converging lens has a positive focal length1 a diverging lens has a negative focal length$ There are at least three commonly used symbols for ob)ect and image distances: ob)ect distance: s used here# " image distance: s' used here# " o sometimes used# " i sometimes used# " p sometimes used# q sometimes used#

These distances and the focal length are related by the 3thin lens e4uation5" -6s 7 -6s' 8 -6f $ -#

Ob)ect distances" image distances" and focal lengths can be positive or negative$ 9e will see e!amples of both positive and negative values in this e!periment$ The ratio of the image si:e h# to the ob)ect si:e h# can be predicted by use of the lateral magnification factor Mexp 8 h 6 h $ /# 0;OTE: If the image is inverted relative to the ob)ect" then h is negative" ma+ing M negative$2

Thin <enses: Basics / *s seen in ,ig$ -" geometry gives a theoretical lateral magnification in terms of the ob)ect and image distances: Mthe 8 (s' 6 s $ =# 0;OTE: The minus sign in E4$ =# is necessary to +eep the signs of the e!perimental and theoretical magnifications consistent$ That is" when s is positive" h is negative$2

s h O f

s F

I h

Fig. 1: Real Image Formation

Fig. 2: irt!al Image Formation s s h h I O f a# with converging lens s s h O h F F O

Fig. ": Con#!gate Fo$i D s s I

d s s

I I f O

b# with diverging lens

Part 1: Convex Lens

Thin <enses: Basics = Three methods will be used to measure the focal length of a conve! lens: -$ >arallel rays : If the ob)ect is sufficiently far away so that s??f" the incoming rays will be almost parallel" and the ob)ect will be focused at appro!imately the focal point of the lens$ This method is used in .tep -$ /$ The thin lens e4uation : The image and ob)ect distances will be measured and f calculated with E4$ -# $ This method is used in .tep /$ .ince ob)ect and image distances will be measured" we will also investigate lateral magnification in this step as an added bonus@# =$ Con)ugate foci : The locations of the ob)ect and image on the a!is of a lens are called the con)ugate foci$ ,or a given ob)ect distance" an image is formed at a distance determined by the thin lens e4uation$ If the ob)ect is moved to the image location" a new image will be formed at the original ob)ect position$ Thus" a lens has a symmetry with respect to its con)ugate foci s and s' can be interchanged in E4$ -##$ In the lab the position of the lens will be changed in order to effect the interchange of ob)ect and image$ &eferring to ,ig$ =" if D 8 s 7 s' and d e4uals the shift in position of the lens" then one can show that f 8 D/ ( d/# 6 AD $ This method is used in .teps = and A$ >&OCEBC&E: -$ .ee how each of the three lenses 7D cm conve!" 7-E cm conve!" and F-D cm concave# acts when used as a magnifying glass$ Bo all the lenses magnifyG 9hich is the HstrongerH conve! lens" i$e$ which magnifies more when used as a magnifying glassG 9hich is the 3wea+er5 conve! lensG /$ >lace only the 7-E cm conve! lens and the white screen on the optical bench and aim the lens at some ob)ect outside the room$ If possible" perform this part of the e!periment in the hallway with the hallway lights off and with the lights in a far room on$# Iove the lens or screen along the bench until the image is focused as sharply as possible$ If an image can be focused" measure and record the image distance" which in this case is appro!imately the same as the focal length$ Can you )ustify this assumptionG 0%I;T: Consider the thin lens e4uation$2 &eplace the 7-E cm conve! lens with the 7D cm conve! lens and repeat the above procedure$ &eplace the conve! lens with the concave lens and repeat the above procedure$ =$ ,O& >*&T. =" A J D" C.E O;<' T%E 9E*KE& CO;VEL <E;.$ a# ,OC*< <E;MT%$ >lace the slide on the optical bench$ By shining a light through the slide" we will use the 7-E cm conve! lens to form an image of the slide on the screen$ %ence the slide will become our ob)ect in this part$ ;e!t place the lens at some position beyond the focal length from the ob)ect and focus an image of the ob)ect on the screen by moving the screen$ Ieasure ob)ect and image distances" s J s'" and calculate the focal length" f$ A#

Thin <enses: Basics A b# I*M;I,C*TIO;$ The length of one of the ob)ect arrows is h 8 =E mm$ Ieasure the length of the image arrow" h$ If you cannot image the entire arrow clearly" then use the large or small circle as your image and measure the diameter of this image circle$ This diameter is the value of h$ The ob)ect circles have diameters of /E mm and -E mm$ Cse the appropriate value for h$# ;ote whether the image is inverted and use the proper sign for h$ Calculate the e!perimental and theoretical magnifications using E4s$ /#J =# and compare the values$ &epeat these measurements and calculations for at least two more ob)ect distances$ Be sure to have at least one case where the image is magnified bigger than ob)ect# and at least one case where the image is demagnified smaller than ob)ect#$ *verage your focal length values$ A$ &eferring to ,ig$ =" if the image and ob)ect distances are e4ual s 8 s#" then D 8 /s" d 8 E and E4$ A# gives f 8 s6/$ The same result is found from the thin lens e4uation$# This would put the image a distance of A f from the ob)ect$ .ee if this is true e!perimentally$ Csing the average value of f from .tep /" place the lens a distance of / f from the ob)ect and move the screen until the image is formed$ Ieasure the distance between ob)ect and image$ Is it A fG &ecord the difference between Af and the measured ob)ect to image distance$ D$ >lace the screen at a distance from the ob)ect that is greater than A f$ Call this distance D$ By moving the lens" find the two lens positions that give sharp images$ Ieasure the distance between these two lens positions$ This is distance d$ Csing E4$ A#" compute the focal length and compare with the values obtained above previously$ &E>O&T: -$ ,or each of the procedures above: draw a diagram" record your data" show your calculations" state your results" and answer any 4uestions posed$ In each case" be sure to include a discussion of possible errors and the estimated accuracy of your data and how this uncertainty in data affects your results$ /$ Compare the values of the focal length from the four procedures$ Comment on whether they agree with one another within e!perimental uncertainty$ =$ Comment on your values for magnification$ Is the theoretical value the same as the e!perimental value within e!perimental errorG Is there )ust one value for magnification for this lensG If not" what does the magnification depend uponG

Thin <enses: Basics D

Part 2: Con$ave Lens

The method of determining the focal length of a concave negative" diverging# lens will involve using it in con)unction with an au!iliary conve! positive" converging# lens$ In ,ig$ A" I- is the image of the ob)ect O- which would be formed by lens N- if the diverging lens N/ where not present$ But with lens N/ in place" the rays do not converge as 4uic+ly" and the image I/ is formed farther away$ 9hen analy:ing multiple lens systems" the image formed by the first lens is considered to be the ob)ect of the second lens I- O/#" and the thin lens e4uation is used$ >&OCEBC&E: -$ II*ME *. OBJECT$ a# Before we consider a concave lens with a conve! lens" letOs wor+ with two convex lenses to see more clearly how to wor+ with two lenses$ .tart with the wea+er of the two conve! lenses and focus an image on the screen$ Try to get an image that is somewhat close in si:e to the ob)ect$ &ecord the ob)ect distance" image distance" ob)ect height" and image height$ Calculate the focal length of this wea+er lens$ Compare to the values you have already obtained for it in >art -$ b# ;e!t place the stronger conve! lens about -E cm beyond the image of the first lens and record this position$ The distance from the screen to the second lens will be the ob)ect distance for the second lens$ ;ow relocate the screen so that it is beyond the second lens and see if you can focus an image$ If you can" record the position of the screen and the final image height" and calculate the image distance for this second lens$ ;ow calculate the focal length of this second stronger# lens$ .hould the stronger lens have a focal length bigger or smaller than the thinner lensG Boes itG Is this focal length close to what you determined in >art -" procedure - hallway method# for this stronger lensG /$ ,OC*< <E;MT% O, CO;C*VE <E;.$ a# &emove the stronger conve! lens and form an image with the wea+er conve! lens" )ust as you did above$ &ecord the position of the image since this will become the ob)ect for the concave lens$ 9ithout moving either the ob)ect or conve! lens" place the concave lens on the bench BET9EE; the conve! lens and the screen$ ;OTE: 9e cannot position the lens behind the image since a concave lens does not converge the light diverging from the image the way a conve! lens does$ Instead" we will use the concave lens to diverge the already converging light coming from the conve! lens before it forms an image$ If the concave lens is wea+er than the conve! lens" the rays will still form an image but further away as shown in ,ig$ A$# b# .ince the ob)ect for the concave lens image from the conve! lens# is on the HwrongH side of the lens" we must ma+e the ob)ect distance for the concave lens negative$ ;ow reposition the screen until a new image is formed$ &ecord the position of the concave lens and of the new image$ By remembering that the initial position of the screen is the location of the virtual ob)ect of the concave lens" compute the focal length of the concave lens$ * concave lens should have a negative focal length$ Boes yoursG c# &epeat the above using a different distance between the ob)ect and the conve! lens$ Compare your two values for the focal length of the concave lens$ *re they the sameG .hould they beG

Thin <enses: Basics Q =$ I*M;I,IC*TIO;$ a# Csing h'1 image si:e of conve! lens# as the ob)ect si:e for the concave lens h2#" determine the magnification both e!perimentally and theoretically# for the concave lens$ *re the ob)ect and image both upside downG .hould Mconcave be positive or negativeG b# ;ow determine the e!perimental magnification of the system of lenses$ This is the final image si:e h'2# divided by original ob)ect si:e h1#$ Boes Mfinal 8 Mconvex 7 Mconcave or does Mfinal 8 Mconvex P Mconcave G

s h1 Of Fig!re %

s F O/ Ih'1 h'2 I/

&E>O&T: -$ ,or each of the steps above: record your data" show your calculations" state your results" and answer any 4uestions posed$ In each case" be sure to include a discussion of possible errors and the estimated accuracy of your data and how this uncertainty in data affects your results$ 2. .how from theory that Mfinal 8 Mconvex P Mconcave$ In fact" for a system with lenses" the final system magnification is simply the product of all of the individual magnifications"

M final = M- M / $$$ M = M j $
j =-