Experiment 9: Study of Lenses

Renoir Del Mundo, Maja Rael Del Villar, Jerald Joseph Domingo, Kristella Draheim
3-BIO 3
College of Science, University of Santo Tomas
Espaa, Manila Philippines

Abstract
In this experiment, the group were
able to determine the focal length of a
converging lens which is 25.5cm.
Second, the group were also successful
in characterizing the image formed by a
converging lens. The group also verified
the chromatic and spherical aberrations
of the lens. Lastly, the group also
characterize the image formation by the
combination of lenses.

light pass through a convex lens the

refracted rays converge at one point
called the principal focus. The distance
between the principal focus and the
centre of the lens is called the focal
length.

1. Introduction

2. Theory

A converging lens is somewhat

similar to a magnifying glass. However,
in these lenses, the image is viewed as
long as the object is outside of the focal
point the image is real and inverted.
When the object is inside the focal point
the image becomes virtual and upright.
The lenses used in this experiments are a
double convex lens and a double
concave lens. Along with the materials
used are a meter stick, light bulb, and a
clear white or black paper to be used as
screen.

Thin lens equation relates the focal

length, image distance and object
distance. Image distance is define to be
the distance of the given image from the
center of a lens which means the focal
length of the objects is equal to the focal
length of image. Thin lens equation also
known as Gaussian lens formula or lens
maker formula. It is also use to verify if
the lens is diverging or converging.

Convex lenses are thicker at the

middle. Rays of light that pass through
the lens are brought closer together (they
converge). Hence, a convex lens is a
converging lens. When parallel rays of

On the other hand, concave lens is

thinner at the center than at the edges.
Because of this, the rays of light that
pass through the lens are spread out.

Thin lens equation:

1/f = 1/p + 1/q
where:
f = focal length
p = image distance

q = object distance
When the object distance is positive, the object
is place in front of the lens. When image
distance is positive, the real images are formed
(inverted, behind the lens). When image
distance is negative, the virtual images are
formed (upright, front of the lens). When focal
length is positive, the lens is converging. When
the object is negative, the lens is diverging.

focal length and twice the focal length; exactly

one focal length; and less than one focal length.

3. Methodology
The experiment was conducted at room
303, Main building, UST. The following
materials and tools were used: double convex
lens, double concave lens, meter stick, board to
be used as screen, light bulb
Activity 1: Focal Length of a Convex Lens
The whiteboard of room 303 was used
as the screen where the rays of the sun from
outdorr were allowed to strike the lens inside
the room. The lens was moved back and forth
until the clearest image was formed on the
whiteboard.

Image 1. Sample Set up for Activity 1

Activity 2: Image Formation by a Convex Lens
With the use of a light bulb, the convex
lens used in activity 1 was placed more than
twice the focal length of the object, and the type
of image formed was noted: inverted/upright,
smaller/bigger, or real/virtual. The same was
done for different object distances including,
exactly twice the focal length; between the

Image
2. Sample Set up for Image Formation (Convex
Lens)
Activity 4: Lens Aberration
A. Chromatic Aberration
Still with the use of a light bulb, and a
blue screen on the side of the bulb, (where the
convex lens was placed at twice its focal length
from the object) the screen was adjusted until
the clearest image of the object was formed.
Data was gathered; image distance, object
distance and focal length were noted. The blue
screen was replaced by a red one, and once
more the screen was adjusted to form the
clearest image in red light. The additional data
was gathered; Data was gathered; image
distance, object distance and focal length for
red screen were also noted.

Image 2. An example of chromatic aberration

B. Spherical Aberration
The light bulb was covered by a dark
piece of paper smaller than the bulb as to cover
only the center part. The lens was positioned in
between screen and lamp. The screen was
adjusted until a sharp image was formed. Once
satisfied with the image, the distances of image
and object were noted, and from these
measurements, the focal length was solved.
Another piece of paper was prepared but
this time with a whole at the center, covering
the edges of the light bulb, leaving space for
light to pass through from the center. Again, the
screen was adjusted until a sharp image was
formed. The distances of image and object were
noted, and from these measurements, the focal
length was solved.
4. Results and Discussion:
The group conducts experiment about
the lenses. With the use of concave and convex
lens, meter stick and a board/screen, the group
characterize the image formation of the two
lenses.
Focal length of lens = 25.5 cm
Table 1: Image formation by a convex lens
Object distance
Type of Image
formed

length
Less than one focal
length

No image

As the object distance increases, the

image formed by the object becomes smaller.
As the object distance decreases, the image
formed by the object becomes bigger. No image
will be formed if the object distance is less than
or exactly one focal length.

Table 2: Chromatic Aberrations

Blue bulb

Red bulb

Object
distance

46 cm

50 cm

Image
distance

54 cm

50 cm

Focal length

24.84 cm

25 cm

Blue bulb has a less focal length than

red bulb because the focal length is dependent
in the refractive indices and in wavelength
which means as the refractive indices increases
the wavelength decreases and the focal length
decreases.
Table 3: Spherical Aberrations
Outer zone
uncovered

Middle
zone
uncovered

More than twice

the focal length

Inverted, smaller,
real

Exactly twice the

focal length

Inverted, same size,

real

Object
distance

60 cm

58 cm

Between one focal

length and twice
the focal length

Inverted, bigger,
real

Image
distance

40 cm

42 cm

24 cm

24.36 cm

Exactly one focal

No image

Focal
length

as somewhat blurred. Some

suggested treatment are the
Pinhole glasses which is made up
of opaque material instead of
glass. These holes have
the
effect of reducing the width
of
the pencil of
light.
Thus
causing the refractive error of the
eyes to have a clear vision. By
blocking these peripheral rays,
only in the central portion of the
pupil
receives
the
light.
Consequently, the improvement in
visual
acuity
is
evident.

Middle zone uncovered has a bigger focal

length than outer zone uncovered

5.

Conclusion:
The group has successfully performed the
experiment about the study of lens.
In activity 1, the focal length of a converging
lens has been determined by the distant object
method. The resulting focal length of lens then
is 25.5cm
In activity 2, the group characterized the image
formed by a converging lens. Different object
distances forms different images. In the
experiment that was conducted, the image
formed
is
either
inverted,real,
smaller/same/bigger, or no image at all
depending on the distance given in relation to
the focal length recorded in activity 1.
In activity 3, chromatic and spherical
aberrations are verified. In chromatic
aberration, the blue bulb which has a focal
length of 24.84cm is less than that of the red
bulb which is 25cm. Since the blue light has
short wavelengths, its index of refraction is
larger than that of the red light which has long
wavelengths. While in spherical aberration, the
middle zone uncovered has larger focal length
which is 24.36 cm than that of the outer zone
uncovered which is 24cm.
6. Application:
1.

In the basis of the spherical

aberration, when the whole pupil
receives light from different
points, it causes the image viewed

2.

Adjustment of focus from a near

object to a distant object causes
the eye muscles to relax and be
refreshed. During a long time of
reading, the eyes converges,
focusing the lens to the book .To
alleviate having eye
muscle fatigue,
looking at a distance can be a solution
wherein the lines of sight go
from being converged to being
parallel and unaccommodated. The eye
then diverges , and unfocuses
the
3.

lens

in

distance.

Double convex is the kind of lens

in our eyes. For normal vision, the
image is formed on the back of the
retina. For farsightedness or
hyperopia, eyeball is too short
thus the image is focused behind
the retina. Convex lens corrects
this kind of eye condition. For
nearsightedness or myopia, the
eyeball is too long, thus the image
is focused in front of the retina.
Concave lens corrects the vision.