Understanding Lenses and Their Properties

Flashcards covering key concepts related to lenses, their properties, and optical phenomena.

Focal Length

The distance from the lens's center to its focal point, determining how converging or diverging a lens is.

Converging Lens

A lens that has a positive focal length and is thickest in the middle, causing parallel rays to converge.

Diverging Lens

A lens that has a negative focal length and is thickest at the edges, causing parallel rays to diverge.

Thin Lens Equation

The equation that relates the focal length (f), object distance (p), and image distance (q) given by 1/f = 1/p + 1/q.

Magnification (M)

The ratio of the height of the image (h') to the height of the object (h), indicating how much larger or smaller the image is.

Ray Diagram

A graphical representation of light rays passing through a lens to show image formation.

Real Image

An image formed when light rays converge at a point and can be projected onto a screen.

Virtual Image

An image formed when light rays appear to diverge from a point, making it impossible to project onto a screen.

Spherical Aberration

An aberration occurring when rays that strike the lens near its edge focus at different points than rays that strike near the center.

Chromatic Aberration

An optical aberration due to different wavelengths of light being refracted by different amounts, leading to color fringing.

Image Summary for Converging Lenses

When the object distance is greater than the focal length, the image is real and inverted; when the object is between the focal point and the lens, the image is virtual and upright.

Image Summary for Diverging Lenses

The image formed by a diverging lens is always virtual and upright, regardless of object position.

Diopters (D)

The unit of measurement for the power of a lens, calculated as the inverse of the focal length in meters (P = 1/f).