Experiment 6

Thin Lenses

6.1 Objectives
• Measure the focal length of a converging lens.

• Measure the focal length of a diverging lens.

• Investigate the relationship between power and focal length.

6.2 Introduction
Lenses are devices that manipulate the path of light rays, allowing us to
bend the rays toward or away from each other. Our eyes have evolved
naturally to perform this task and enhance our vision, while humans have
figured out how to fashion lenses out of glass and plastic, giving us view-
ing access to previously inaccessible phenomena from galaxies to bacteria.
The physics of lenses is also used to detect the presence of “dark matter”
surrounding galaxies (gravitational lensing), as well as to direct beams of
atomic nuclei in particle accelerators like in the Cyclotron Building across
the courtyard. However, the first step is to get some experience with thin
lenses (thin enough so that we can ignore their thickness) where the math
is somewhat more tractable than with more exotic lenses.

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6.3 Key Concepts

As always, you can find a summary online at Hyperphysics1 . Look for
keywords: lenses, thin lenses, images, focal length, real images, virtual
images and magnification.

6.4 Theory
A converging lens will cause light rays passing through it to be bent
toward each other and the principal axis of the lens. If parallel light rays
are incident on a converging lens, the light rays will converge at the focal
point a distance f from the lens as shown in Fig. 6.1. The distance f is
called the focal length of the lens. For converging lenses, f is positive.
In general, converging lenses are thicker in the middle than they are at the
outer edge of the lens.
A diverging lens will cause light rays passing through it to bend away
from each other and the principal axis of the lens. If parallel light rays are
incident on a diverging lens, the light rays will appear to diverge from the
focal point a distance f from the lens as shown in Fig. 6.2. For diverging
lenses, f is negative. In general, diverging lenses are thicker at the outer
edge than they are in the middle.
1
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hph.html

Figure 6.1: Parallel light rays passing through a converging lens converge
at the focal point.

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Figure 6.2: Parallel light rays passing through a diverging lens spread out.
The light rays appear to diverge from the focal point on the front side of
the lens.

Ray diagrams can be a useful tool for analyzing the behavior of light
rays passing through thin lenses. Here are some rules for drawing light rays
in ray diagrams.
1. A light ray approaching the lens parallel to the principle axis will
pass through the focal point on the opposite side of the lens for a
converging lens or appear to diverge from the focal point on the same
side of the lens for a diverging lens (see Fig. 6.1 and Fig. 6.2).
2. A light ray passing through the center of the lens will not change
direction as it passes through the lens.
3. A light ray passing through the focal point will be parallel to the
principal axis when it leaves the lens.
Consider the ray diagrams shown in Figs. 6.3 and 6.4. For clarity, only
rays 1 and 2 (explained above) are shown. Note in these figures that h is the
height of the object, h is the height of the image, p is the object distance
(measured from the lens) and q is the image distance (measured from the
lens). An image is formed where the rays intersect.
There are two types of images: real and virtual. Real images occur
when the light rays actually converge on a point and form an image. These

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Figure 6.3: Real image formed by a converging lens.

Figure 6.4: Virtual image formed by a diverging lens.

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types of images can be displayed on a screen. A virtual image is formed

when the light rays appear to diverge from a point. Because the rays do
not actually diverge from this point (that is, pass through the point), they
cannot be displayed on a screen. Converging lenses can form both real and
virtual images. A diverging lens by itself can only form a virtual image. In
the last part of this lab, you will use an image formed by a converging lens
as the object for a diverging lens. The resulting image from this two-lens
system can be real.

Sign conventions for lenses

When doing calculations for thin lenses you will need to follow the sign
conventions listed below. Note that the front side of the lens is defined
as the side of the lens from which the light is traveling (in the preceding
diagrams it is the left-hand side of the lens). The back side of the lens is
defined as the side to which the light is traveling (in the preceding diagrams
it is the right-hand side of the lens).
• The object distance, p, is positive when the object is on the front side
of the lens.
• The object distance, p, is negative when it is on the back side of the
lens.
• The image distance, q, is positive when the image is on the back side
of the lens.
• The image distance, q, is negative when it is on the front side of the
lens.
• The object height, h, is always positive.
• Image height, h , is negative when the image is inverted (compared to
the object).
• The image height, h , is positive when the image is upright (i.e. has
the same orientation as the object).
For systems with a single optical element (i.e. just one lens), a real image
will always have a negative image height (because the image is inverted)
and a positive image distance. In contrast, a virtual image will always have

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a positive image height (because the image is upright) and a negative image
distance.

Magnification
The intuitive definition of magnification is how much bigger (or smaller) an
image is compared to the original object.

image height h
M= = (6.1)
object height h
Notice that for a real image formed by a single lens2 the magnification is
negative; the negative sign tells you that the image is inverted.
Referring back to Fig. 6.3, we can use the geometric notion of similar
triangles to find an alternate expression for magnification in terms of the
object and image distances, p and q.

h h
=−
p q

Rearranging this expression we find:

q h
− =
p h
The right-hand side is the same as in Eq. 6.1, therefore:
q
M =− (6.2)
p
Notice that you need the minus sign in Eq. 6.2 to get the same answer
as Eq. 6.1. For example, both the image and object distances, p and q, for
a real (inverted) image from a converging lens are positive, but because we
defined magnification to be negative for inverted images you need a minus
sign in Eq. 6.2.
2
The single lens must be a converging lens, as a diverging lens cannot make a real
image by itself.

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Focal Length
The focal length f of a thin lens is related to the object distance p and
image distance q by the following expression:
1 1 1
= + (6.3)
f p q
If we rearrange Eq. 6.3 we obtain:
1 1 1
=− + (6.4)
q p f
Notice Eq. 6.4 has the same form as the equation of a straight line,
1 1 1
y = mx + b. With playing the role of y, playing the role of x and
q p f
as the intercept. What is the slope m in Eq. 6.4? (You will need this for
question #2.)
If you wear corrective lenses you may have noticed that your eyeglass
prescription has units of Diopters (D). This is because your prescription
tells you the refractive power of your lens, which is a measure of its ability
to bend light rays. The power P is related to the focal length f by
1
P = (6.5)
f

where the focal length is in meters; so a Diopter D is equivalent to meter−1 .

(Be careful with units and make sure to convert centimeters to meters be-
fore calculating the power of a lens.) The power will be positive or negative
depending on whether you are farsighted (hyperopic) or nearsighted (my-
opic). If you are farsighted (i.e. you can only see things that are far away)
your prescription will have a positive power and focal length which tells
the lens maker to use a converging lens. If you are nearsighted (i.e. you
can only see things that are nearby) your prescription will have a negative
power and focal length which tells the lens maker to use a diverging lens.
For example, if your prescription is -4.0 D then you are nearsighted and
need diverging lenses with a focal length of f = -0.25 m = -25 cm. Alter-
natively, if your prescription is +1.0 D then you are farsighted and need
converging lenses with a focal length of f = +1 m.

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6.5 In today’s lab

First we’ll become accustomed to forming images using a converging lens
and use object and image distances to determine its focal length. Then we
will form an image with a two lens system, using a converging and diverging
lens, to determine the focal length of a diverging lens.

Measuring the focal length of a converging lens

In this experiment, you will measure a series of object distances and corre-
sponding image distances for a converging lens and calculate its focal length.
1 1
You will do this by constructing a graph of vs and using Eq. 6.4 to find
q p
the focal length.

Measuring the focal length of a diverging lens

To measure the focal length of a diverging lens, we will first use a converging
lens to create a real image. This real image will then become the object for
the diverging lens.3 We will place the diverging lens such that the image
formed by the converging lens is on the diverging lens’s back side as shown in
Fig. 6.5. Remember from the earlier section on “Sign conventions for lenses”
the object distance p is defined to be negative if it is on the back side of the
lens. This two-lens system, one converging and one diverging lens, allows
us to make a real image that can be viewed on a screen. (Remember that
a diverging lens alone can only make a virtual image which is not viewable
on a screen.) Using the object and image distances from the diverging lens
and Eq. 6.3, the focal length of the diverging lens can be calculated.

3
For any multi-lens system (involving 2 or more lenses) understanding the entire
system only involves following the simple rule that the image from the first lens acts as
the object for the second lens. If there are > 2 lenses then the image from the second
lens acts as the object for the third lens, etc.

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 6.6. Equipment

Figure 6.5: A converging lens forms a real image then a diverging lens is
added to form a new real image which can be viewed on a screen.

6.6 Equipment
The experimental setup we will use to measure the focal length of a con-
verging lens is shown in Fig. 6.6 and the experimental setup we will use to
measure the focal length of a diverging lens is shown in Fig. 6.7.

• Optics bench

• LED object (shown in Fig. 6.8)

• Converging lens

• Diverging lens

• Screen

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Figure 6.6: Optics bench with an object, a converging lens and a screen.

Figure 6.7: Optics bench with an object, a converging lens, a diverging lens
and a screen.

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 6.7. Procedure

6.7 Procedure
Focal length of a converging lens
1. Measure the height of the object as shown in Fig. 6.8 and record it in
the Excel spreadsheet. Make sure to add the units you are using in the
Excel spreadsheet in the empty row just below the column headings.

2. Place a 25.0 cm focal length converging lens at a distance of p =

60.0 cm away from the object.

3. Assign a reasonable uncertainty to your object distance p and record

it in your Excel spreadsheet.

4. Adjust the screen until a focused image is formed. It helps to watch

the corners of the image (the inverted 4). When the corners are clear
and crisp (not blurry) then the image is focused.

5. Measure the image distance q and record it in your spreadsheet.

6. Assign a reasonable uncertainty to the image distance q. This is done

by moving the screen back and forth and determining the distance
over which the image appears focused. Notice that there is a range
(typically 1-2 cm) over which your image is crisp, not blurry. You
should place the screen in the center of this range and use half of that
distance as your uncertainty in the image distance q. (Is this distance
larger than your uncertainty in reading the meter stick? It should
be.)

7. Measure the height of your image as shown in Fig. 6.9 and record it
plus a reasonable uncertainty in your Excel spreadsheet.

8. Repeat steps 1-7 for object distances of 55 cm, 50 cm, 45 cm and 40 cm.

9. Have Excel calculate the magnification (M1 ) for each of your mea-
surements using Eq. 6.1. Also, calculate the uncertainty4 using:
⎧ δh   δh ⎫
   
δM1 = |M1 |⎩  +   ⎭
h h
4
The straight vertical lines “|” mean “absolute value of” and are needed because the
size of an uncertainty is never negative. The Excel command for absolute value of a
number is ABS(number).

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Figure 6.8: A picture of the LED number 4 that you will be using as your
object showing how to measure its height.

10. Have Excel calculate the magnification (M2 ) for each of your mea-
surements using
⎧ δpEq.
 6.2.
 δq ⎫Also, calculate the uncertainty using:
   
δM2 = |M2 |⎩  +  ⎭
p q
1 1 ⎧ 1 ⎫ 1 δq δq
11. Have Excel calculate , , and δ ⎩ ⎭ = = 2.
p q q q q q
12. Import these 3 data columns into Kaleidagraph and construct a graph
1 1
of vs. . Include vertical error bars and have Kaleidagraph fit it
q p
with a best-fit line with the relevant uncertainties included.

Focal length of a diverging lens

1. Place the converging lens to a distance of 40.0 cm from the object and
adjust the screen until a clear image is formed.
2. Place a diverging lens having a focal length of f = −30.0 cm at a
distance of 20.0 cm from the screen (i.e. the diverging lens should be
between the screen and the converging lens). By placing it in this
location, your object distance for the diverging lens is −20.0 cm.

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 6.7. Procedure

Figure 6.9: A picture of what your image should look like on the screen,
notice that it is inverted (i.e. real), showing how to measure the image
height.

3. Assign a reasonable uncertainty to this object distance. (You need to

include the uncertainty in finding the image formed by the converging
lens which is now the object for your diverging lens.)

4. Adjust the screen until a focused image is formed. Measure the image
distance q. (Note this is the distance between the diverging lens and
the screen.)

5. Assign a reasonable uncertainty to the image distance using the same

method as described previously for the converging lens.

6. Use Eq. 6.3 to calculate the focal lengthof the

 diverging
 lens. To
 δp   δq 
calculate the uncertainty, use: δf = f 2  2  +  2  . Remember
p q
that uncertainties are always positive. These calculations are part of
Question 5.

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 6.8. Questions

6.8 Questions
1. Is M1 consistent with M2 ? Use your M1 and M2 values for an object
distance of 50 cm. Explain.

2. What is the slope of your graph? Is it consistent with what you expect
from Eq. 6.4? Explain.

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3. From equation Eq. 6.4, the y-intercept of your graph should equal
1
. Use Eq. 6.4 and your graph to determine the focal length of the
f
converging lens. Does it agree with the established value of f =
+25.0 ± 2.0 cm? Explain.
Hint: If the y-intercept and its uncertainty are (int) ± δ(int), then
δ(int) δf
= .
(int) f

4. Based on your measurement (not the established value), what is the

power of the converging lens (in diopters)?

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 6.8. Questions

5. From your measurements, calculate the focal length of the diverging

lens and its uncertainty. The formula for calculating the uncertainty
in the focal length is given in the procedure.

6. Is your calculated focal length in Question 5 consistent with the es-

tablished value of f = −30.0 ± 2.0 cm ? Explain.

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7. Based on your measurement (not the established value), what is the

power of the diverging lens?

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