Experiment 403:

Refraction from a Spherical Surface: Thin Lens

Charl Joseph B. Santiago, PHY13L/A4
charljosephsantiago@gmail.com
Abstract
The study to be discussed in Experiment 403 is all about Refraction from a Spherical
Surface specifically in thin lens. A thin lens is a lens with a thickness that is negligible
compared to the radii of curvature of the lens surface. This experiment aims to determine the
focal length of a convex lens using different locations of the object and the graphical method.
Key Words: Refraction, Spherical Surface, Thin Lens
Introduction
Lenses play an important part on the discovery of various things we know today.
Some examples are the telescopes and microscopes which use lenses to magnify things from
a finite or infinite distance. Without lenses, the said examples will not be possible. In the last
experiment, we discussed all about reflection. But in this experiment, we will be dealing
refraction, which is also a characteristics of a wave.
A piece of glass of finite thickness with two spherical boundaries is a lens. If the
thickness of the lens is much smaller than the diameter of the lens, we call it a thin lens. Thin
lenses can be converging or diverging. Converging lenses, as shown in Fig. 1, are thicker in
the middle than near the edges, and diverging lenses are thicker near the edges than in the
middle. A thin lens has two focal points, located on the optical axis, a distance f from the
center of the lens on either side of the lens.

Fig. 1. The Ray diagram of a converging lens.

Convex lens is used on our experiment which has middle-part thicker. Focal length's
relation to the object and the image is given by the thin lens equation where focal length is
the difference on product and sum of the object and image distance from the lens. The think
lens equation can be used with either converging (convex) or diverging (concave) lenses that
1

are thin and it relates the object distance (s), the image distance (s), and the focal length of
the lens f.

1 1 1
= +
f s s'

(1)

The magnification of the lens is the ratio of the image height and the object height,
and is also related to the distances of the object and image from the lens.
m=m=

h
s'
=m= i
s
ho

(2)

Methodology
To start with this experiment, as shown in Fig. 2, we were given 1 piece of Optical
bench, 1 piece of Image screen, 1 piece of Light source, and 2 pieces of Convex lens. Also,
we were advised to be careful in handling the optical bench and convex lenses.

Fig. 2. The Materials for Experiment 403.

1. Determination of Focal Length using an Object at Infinity
In the first part of the experiment, we were advised to use the window in order to
make this part possible. By removing the light source from the optical bench, we locate
and project an object on the image screen, as shown in Fig. 3. Afterwards, we can
2

measure the distance of the screen from the lens. Using lens equation in equation 1, we
can get the focal length for an object located at infinite distance.

Fig. 3.A. The object that is being projected in the screen;

Fig. 3.B. The projected image in the screen.
2. Determination of Focal Length Using an Object at a Finite Distance
In the second part of the experiment, as shown in the Fig. 4, we place the light source
100 centimeters away from the center. Starting near the light source, focus the light source on
the screen by moving the convex lens until a visible image of the image is formed. The
obtained value is the position 1. Using Equation 1, we can measure the object distance and
the image distance and compute the focal length, which is the inverse of each other. Move the
lens closer to the screen until a sharp image is formed. This is position 2 of the lens.

Fig. 4. The image formed using LENS 1 in object in a finite distance.

3. Determination of Focal Length (either LENS 1 or LENS 2) using Graphical
Technique.
The third part of the experiment, as shown in Fig. 5, is the same as the second part. In
this case, we need to measure the object size and the image size. By collecting two additional
sets of data points between the light source and the screen, we can plot for the 1/s and 1/s.
By then, we can get the intercepts which are equal to 1/f.

Fig. 5. The image formed using LENS 2 in an object in a finite distance.

Results and Discussion
1. Determination of Focal Length using an Object at Infinity
In Table 1, we determined that the image distance is equal to the focal length since the
object distance is in infinity.
Table 1. Determination of Focal Length using an Object at Infinity
Trial
1
2

LENS 1
Object
Image
Distance Distance

10.00 cm

Focal
Length
10.00 cm

Trial

10.30 cm

10.30 cm

Focal Length (Average)

Focal Length (Actual)
Percent Error

10.15 cm
10 cm
1.50 %

LENS 2
Object
Image
Distance Distance

20.00
cm

20.80
cm
Focal Length (Average)
Focal Length (Actual)
Percent Error

2. Determination of Focal Length using an Object at a Finite Distance

Focal
Length
20.00 cm
20.80 cm
20.40 cm
20 cm
2.00 %

In Table 2, we determined that the farther the distance I, the higher the focal length
will be.
Table 2. Determination of Focal Length using an Object at a Finite Distance
Distance between
Screen and Light
Source is 100 cm
Object Distance, s
Image Distance, s
Focal Length, f
Focal Length
(Average)
Focal Length
(Actual)
Percentage Error

LENS 1

LENS 2

Position 1

Position 2

Position 1

Position 2

12.00 cm
88.00 cm
10.56 cm

88.50 cm
11.50 cm
10.18 cm

30.00 cm
70.00 cm
21.00 cm

73.00 cm
27.00 cm
19.71 cm

10.369 cm

20.355 cm

10 cm

20 cm

3.688 %

1.775 %

3. Determination of Focal Length (LENS 1 or LENS 2) using Graphical Technique

In Table 3, we determined that the image formed is real image since the distance
between the focus and the image is positive.
Table 3. Determination of Focal Length using Graphical Technique
Object Size, ho = 4.2 cm
Gap between the Screen
and Light Source
100 cm
50 cm
70 cm
Gap between the Screen
and Light Source
100 cm
50 cm
70 cm
xintercept
y-intercept
Focal Length (Average)
Focal Length (Actual)
Percentage Error
Position

s
12.0 cm
16.5 cm
12.0 cm

Position 1
s'

hi

86.0 cm
33.5 cm
58.0 cm

33.0 cm
11.2 cm
21.0 cm

s
88.5 cm
36.0 cm
58.0 cm

Position 1
1
s

1/86.0 cm-1
1/33.5cm-1
1/58.0 cm-1

0.095 cm-1
0.099cm-1

Focal Length
Focal Length

Magnification, m

hi

11.5 cm
14.0 cm
12.0 cm

0.5 cm
1.8 cm
1.0 cm

Position 2
1
s'

1/12.0 cm-1
1/16.5 cm-1
1/12.0 cm-1

Position 2
s'

1
s

1
s'

1/88.5 cm-1
1/36.0 cm-1
1/58.0 cm-1

1/11.5 cm-1
1/14.0 cm-1
1/12.0 cm-1
10.520 cm
10.066 cm
10.293 cm
10 cm
2.93 %

Percentage Difference

m=

Position 1
Position 2

s'
s

m=

7.33
2.03
4.83
0.13
0.39
0.21

hi
ho

7.86
2.57
5.00
0.12
0.43
0.24

6.98 %
14.21 %
3.46 %
8.00 %
9.76 %
13.33 %

In doing this experiment, the common possible source of errors is the wrong
measurement. In this experiment, small difference on distances can give you huge percentage
of error since the image distance and the object distance are interchangeable.
Conclusion
In this experiment, we were able to prove that light can be considered as wave since it
satisfies a property of wave which is Refraction. We were able to determine the focal
length of the lens using different location of the object including an infinity object and we
were able to understand, with the help or out instructor, the graphical method in getting the
focal length of a lens.
References:
Book
[1] Halliday, Resnik, Walker, Principles of Physics. 9th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc. USA
(2011)
[2] Young, Freedman, University Physics. 12th ed., Pearson Addison Wesley, Inc. USA (2008)
Manual
[1] Benzon, AM, Refraction from a Spherical Surface: Thin Lens. Physics Lab Manual, 25-32
(2014)
Others
[1] http://www.cabrillo.edu/~jmccullough/Important_Equations/Refraction_of_Light.pdf
[2]http://www.math.ubc.ca/~cass/courses/m309-01a/chu/MirrorsLenses/refractioncurved.htm
[3] http://labman.phys.utk.edu/phys136/modules/m10/Thin%20Lenses.htm
[4] http://www.math.ubc.ca/~cass/courses/m309-01a/chu/MirrorsLenses/lenses.htm