Concave & Convex Lens Notes, Ray Diagrams,
& Practice Problems
§ Lens – a transparent object that refracts light rays, causing them to converge or diverge to
create an image
Ø Typically consists of a piece of glass or plastic ground so that each of its two refracting
surfaces is a segment of either a sphere or a plane
Ø The curvature of the surface causes the change in direction of the light rays to vary from
point to point
Ø Commonly used to form images by cameras, telescopes, microscopes, and even the
human eyeball
Ø Common Types of Lenses:
1. Convex or converging – thicker at the middle than at the rim:
2. Concave or diverging – thinner at the middle than at the rim:
***Since light can pass through from either side, both converging and diverging lenses
have two focal points—one on each side of the lens ***
§ Ways to determine the location of the image:
1. Ray diagrams – drawings that use simple geometry to locate the image
2. Direct calculation using the lens equations:
! ! ! $ #
"
=# +# m = $! = − #!
! " " "
Lens Equation Sign Conventions:
di is positive for real images
di is negative for virtual images
f is positive for convex lenses
f is negative for concave lenses
***Note that for lenses, real images are seen on the opposite side of (i.e. through) the lens
as the original object while virtual images are seen on the same side.***
Ray Diagrams for Lenses
A lens consists of two faces put together, each part of a sphere that can be convex or concave.
Construct ray diagrams for each of the situations below using the following steps:
1. Draw a ray parallel to the principal axis and extending from the top of the object to the
center of the lens. Then, for convex lenses, refract the ray through the focal point on the
opposite side of the lens as the object. For concave lenses, refract the ray along a path
directed away from the focal point on the same side of the lens as the object.
2. Draw a second ray along a path heading from the top of the object through the center of the
lens.
3. Locate the point of intersection of these two constructed rays above. This gives the
placement for the top of the image. Draw the image.
Case I: Object located beyond 2F’ with a convex lens.
Object
2F’ F’ F 2F
Where (relative to F, 2F, and the lens) is the image located? Is it real or virtual?
How does the size and orientation of the image compare with that of the original object?
Case II: Object located at 2F’ with a convex lens.
Object
2F’ F’ F 2F
Where (relative to F, 2F, and the lens) is the image located? Is it real or virtual?
How does the size and orientation of the image compare with that of the original object?
Case III: Object located between 2F’ and F’ with a convex lens.
Object
2F’ F’ F 2F
Where (relative to F, 2F, and the lens) is the image located? Is it real or virtual?
How does the size and orientation of the image compare with that of the original object?
Case IV: Object located at F’ with a convex lens.
Object
2F’ F’ F 2F
Where is the image located?
Case V: Object located between F’ and the convex lens.
Object
2F’ F’ F 2F
Where is the image located? Is it real or virtual?
How does the size and orientation of the image compare with that of the original object?
Case VI: Object with a concave lens.
Object
2F’ F’ F 2F
Where is the image located? Is it real or virtual?
How does the size and orientation of the image compare with that of the original object?
Object-Image Relationships for Mirrors & Lenses
Mirror or Image Image Image
Lens Type Type Size Orientation
Plane Always Same as Same as
Mirror Virtual Object Object
Concave Real or Upright or
Varies
Mirror Virtual Inverted
Convex Always Always Always
Mirror Virtual Smaller Upright
Convex Real or Upright or
Varies
Lens Virtual Inverted
Concave Always Always Always
Lens Virtual Smaller Upright
Object-Image Relationships for Convex Lenses
Object Image Image Image Image
Case
Location Location Type Size Orientation
Between 2F
I Beyond 2F’ Real Smaller Inverted
and F
II At 2F’ Also at 2F Real Same size Inverted
Between
III Beyond 2F Real Larger Inverted
2F’and F’
No image
IV At F’ None N/A N/A
(At infinity)
Same side
Between F’
V of lens Virtual Larger Upright
and Lens
as object
Concave & Convex Lens Practice Problems
1. An object is placed 20 cm in front of a converging lens of focal length 10 cm. Find the
image distance and magnification. Describe the image.
2. An object is placed 20 cm in front of a diverging lens of focal length 10 cm. Find the image
distance and magnification. Describe the image.
Applications of Refraction
1. Fiber Optic Cables
Ø Light travels through fiber optic cables using the principle of total internal reflection
Ø Increasingly used in telecommunications (phone and computer signals)
2. Mirages
Ø Light is bent when passing through layers of air at different temperatures, and thus
different densities
3. Dispersion
Ø The process of separating polychromatic light into its component wavelengths
Ø Occurs since light of different wavelengths is bent at different angles as it moves into a
refracting material—blue light bends more than red light when passing into a refracting
material
Ø Common Examples:
(1) White light passed through a prism produces a visible spectrum
(2) Rainbows are created by dispersion of light in water droplets
4. Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
Ø The cornea at the front of the eye acts like a lens, directing light rays towards the retina at
the back of the eye
Ø Common problems with refraction of light by the eye:
(1) Farsightedness (hyperopia) – occurs when the image position is behind the retina –
corrected with a converging lens
(2) Nearsightedness (myopia) – occurs when the image position is in front of the retina –
corrected with a diverging lens
5. Compound Microscopes & Refracting Telescopes
1. Use of a combination of thin lenses, such that the image formed by the first lens becomes
the object for the second, and so on
Lens Aberrations
§ Two types of imperfections affect the quality of the images produced by lenses:
1. Spherical aberration – the effect where rays striking the middle of a spherical lens focus
further from the lens than rays striking the edges of the lens:
2. Chromatic aberration – the focusing of different colors of light at different distances
behind a lens—occurs since different wavelengths of light bend by different amounts
