5/8/2017 ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations

ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations
TheAnatomyofaLens
RefractionbyLenses
ImageFormationRevisited
ConvergingLensesRayDiagrams
ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations
DivergingLensesRayDiagrams
DivergingLensesObjectImageRelations
TheMathematicsofLenses

PreviouslyinLesson5,raydiagramswereconstructedinordertodeterminethegenerallocation,size,
orientation,andtypeofimageformedbydoubleconvexlenses.Perhapsyounoticedthatthereisa
definiterelationshipbetweentheimagecharacteristicsandthelocationwhereanobjectplacedinfront
ofadoubleconvexlens.Thepurposeofthisportionofthelessonistosummarizetheseobjectimage
relationships.Thebestmeansofsummarizingthisrelationshipistodivide
thepossibleobjectlocationsintofivegeneralareasorpoints:
Case1:theobjectislocated beyondthe2Fpoint
Case2:theobjectislocatedatthe2Fpoint
Case3:theobjectislocatedbetweenthe2Fpointandthefocalpoint
(F)
Case4:theobjectislocatedatthefocalpoint(F)
Case5:theobjectislocated infrontof
thefocalpoint(F)

Case1:Theobjectislocatedbeyond2F
Whentheobjectislocatedatalocationbeyondthe2Fpoint,theimagewill
alwaysbelocatedsomewhereinbetweenthe2Fpointandthefocalpoint(F)
ontheothersideofthelens.Regardlessofexactlywheretheobjectislocated,
theimagewillbelocatedinthisspecifiedregion.Inthiscase,theimagewillbe
aninvertedimage.Thatistosay,iftheobjectisrightsideup,thenthe
imageisupsidedown.Inthiscase,theimageisreducedinsizeinotherwords,theimage
dimensionsaresmallerthantheobjectdimensions.Iftheobjectisasixfoottallperson,thentheimage
islessthansixfeettall.EarlierinUnit13,thetermmagnificationwasintroducedthemagnificationis
theratiooftheheightoftheobjecttotheheightoftheimage.Inthiscase,themagnificationisa
numberwithanabsolutevaluelessthan1.Finally,theimageisarealimage.Lightraysactually
convergeattheimagelocation.Ifasheetofpaperwereplacedattheimagelocation,theactualreplica
orlikenessoftheobjectwouldappearprojecteduponthesheetofpaper.

Case2:Theobjectislocatedat2F
Whentheobjectislocatedatthe2Fpoint,theimagewillalsobelocatedatthe
2Fpointontheothersideofthelens.Inthiscase,theimagewillbeinverted
(i.e.,arightsideupobjectresultsinanupsidedownimage).Theimage
dimensionsareequaltotheobjectdimensions.Asixfoottallpersonwould
haveanimagethatissixfeettalltheabsolutevalueofthemagnificationis
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refrn/Lesson5/ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations 1/3
5/8/2017 ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations

exactly1.Finally,theimageisarealimage.Lightraysactuallyconvergeattheimagelocation.Assuch,
theimageoftheobjectcouldbeprojecteduponasheetofpaper.


Case3:Theobjectislocatedbetween2FandF
Whentheobjectislocated infrontof the2Fpoint,theimagewillbe
located beyond the2Fpointontheothersideofthelens.Regardlessof
exactlywheretheobjectislocatedbetween2FandF,theimagewillbe
locatedinthespecifiedregion.Inthiscase,theimagewillbeinverted(i.e.,a
rightsideupobjectresultsinanupsidedownimage).Theimagedimensions
arelargerthantheobjectdimensions.Asixfoottallpersonwouldhavean
imagethatislargerthansixfeettall.Theabsolutevalueofthemagnificationisgreaterthan1.Finally,
theimageisarealimage.Lightraysactuallyconvergeattheimagelocation.Assuch,theimageofthe
objectcouldbeprojecteduponasheetofpaper.

Case4:TheobjectislocatedatF
Whentheobjectislocatedatthefocalpoint,noimageisformed.As
discussedearlierinLesson5,therefractedraysneitherconvergenordiverge.
Afterrefracting,thelightraysaretravelingparalleltoeachotherandcannot
produceanimage.


Case5:TheobjectislocatedinfrontofF
Whentheobjectislocatedatalocationinfrontofthefocalpoint,theimage
willalwaysbelocatedsomewhereonthesamesideofthelensastheobject.
RegardlessofexactlywhereinfrontofFtheobjectislocated,theimagewill
alwaysbelocatedontheobject'ssideofthelensandsomewherefurtherfrom
thelens.Theimageislocated behind theobject.Inthiscase,theimagewill
beanuprightimage.Thatistosay,iftheobjectisrightsideup,thenthe
imagewillalsoberightsideup.Inthiscase,theimageisenlargedinotherwords,theimage
dimensionsaregreaterthantheobjectdimensions.Asixfoottallpersonwouldhaveanimagethatis
largerthansixfeettall.Themagnificationisgreaterthan1.Finally,theimageisavirtualimage.Light
raysdivergeuponrefractionforthisreason,theimagelocationcanonlybefoundbyextendingthe
refractedraysbackwardsontheobject'ssidethelens.Thepointoftheirintersectionisthevirtualimage
location.Itwouldappeartoanyobserverasthoughlightfromtheobjectweredivergingfromthis
location.Anyattempttoprojectsuchanimageuponasheetofpaperwouldfailsincelightdoesnot
actuallypassthroughtheimagelocation.

Itmightbenotedfromtheabovedescriptionsthatthereisarelationshipbetweentheobjectdistance
andobjectsizeandtheimagedistanceandimagesize.Startingfromalargevalue,astheobject
distancedecreases(i.e.,theobjectismovedclosertothelens),theimagedistanceincreases
meanwhile,theimageheightincreases.Atthe2Fpoint,theobjectdistanceequalstheimagedistance
andtheobjectheightequalstheimageheight.Astheobjectdistanceapproachesonefocallength,the
imagedistanceandimageheightapproachesinfinity.Finally,whentheobjectdistanceisequalto
exactlyonefocallength,thereisnoimage.Thenalteringtheobjectdistancetovalueslessthanone
focallengthproducesimagesthatareupright,virtualandlocatedonthesamesideofthelensasthe
object.Finally,iftheobjectdistanceapproaches0,theimagedistanceapproaches0andtheimage
heightultimatelybecomesequaltotheobjectheight.Thesepatternsaredepictedinthediagrambelow.
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refrn/Lesson5/ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations 2/3
5/8/2017 ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations

Eightdifferentobjectlocationsaredrawninredandlabeledwithanumberthecorrespondingimage
locationsaredrawninblueandlabeledwiththeidenticalnumber.

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refrn/Lesson5/ConvergingLensesObjectImageRelations 3/3