Focal length and lens

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND
BEHAVIORAL STUDIES SECTION – 2
EXPERIMENT 6
Focal Length of Lens
DATE OF EXPERIMENT: 6/12/2024G.C
DATE OF SUBMISSION: 13/12/2024 G.C
Group Members
NAME ID NO.
1. DAGIM YENENEH UGR/0986/17

2. AMANUEL TAYU UGR/8069/17
3. ABEL GEBRESLASSIE UGR/7643/17
4. ABEL ABERA UGR/1016/17
Lab instructor's: Ato Emiru A.

Lab assistant: Ato Gizaw B.
1
Table of Content
Pre-lab Questions and Answers ………………………………………………………………… 2
Abstract …………….………………………………………………………………………………..… 2
Purpose …………….………………………………………………………………………………..… 2
Materials …………….………………………………………………………………………………..… 3
Introduction …………….……………………………………………………………………………. 3
Prediction …………….………………………………………………………………………………..… 4
Method …………….………………………………………………………………………………..… 4
Data and Data analysis …………….………………………………………………………………. 4
Result …………….………………………………………………………………………………..….…... 5
Discussion …………….………………………………………………………………………………..… 5
Conclusion …………….………………………………………………………………………………..… 5
Post Lab Question …………….…………………………………………………………………….. 5
2
Focal Length of Lens
Pre-lab questions and answers
Questions
1. Mark the following statements about lenses as true or false.

(a) Incident parallel light rays converge if the lens’s focal length is negative.
(b) If the path of converging light rays is traced backward, the rays appear to
come from a point called the focal point.
(c) A double convex lens has a negative focal length.
(d) The focal length of a lens is always positive.
2. A double convex lens is made from glass with an index of refraction of
n=1.50n = 1.50. The magnitudes of its radii of curvature R1R_1 and R2R_2 are
10.0 cm and 15.0 cm, respectively. What is the focal length of the lens?
3. What is a virtual image? How is it different from a real image?
4. For a diverging lens, state what kinds of images can be formed and the
conditions under which those images can be formed.
5. For a converging lens, state what kinds of images can be formed and the
conditions under which those images can be formed.
6. A lens has a focal length of f=+10.0f = +10.0 cm. If an object is placed 30.0 cm
from the lens, where is the image formed? Is the image real or virtual?
7. An object is 16.0 cm from a lens. A real image is formed 24.0 cm from the
lens. What is the focal length of the lens?
8. One lens has a focal length of f=+15.0f = +15.0 cm. A second lens of focal
length f=+20.0f = +20.0 cm is placed in contact with the first lens. What is the
equivalent focal length of the combination of lenses?
Answers:
1. (a) False, (b) True, (c) False, (d) False.

2. Using the lensmaker’s formula, the focal length is approximately 6.67 cm.
3. A virtual image is formed when light rays appear to diverge from a point.
Unlike a real image, it cannot be projected onto a screen.
4. Diverging lenses always form virtual, upright, and reduced images, regardless
of the object’s position.
5. Converging lenses can form real, inverted images when the object is outside
the focal point and virtual, upright images when the object is inside the focal
point.
6. The image is formed 15.0 cm on the other side of the lens and is real.
3
7. The focal length of the lens is +9.6 cm.
8. The equivalent focal length of the lens combination is +8.57 cm.
Abstract
This experiment aimed to determine the focal length of convex and concave lenses
and verify the lens equation. By varying object distances and measuring image
distances, we calculated the focal lengths and analyzed the relationship between the
variables. The results demonstrated the validity of the lens equation and provided
insights into the properties of lenses. This experiment underscores the importance of
precision in optical measurements and highlights the application of lenses in various
technologies.
Purpose
1. To measure the focal lengths of convex and concave lenses.

2. To verify the lens equation experimentally.
Materials
 Convex lens
 Concave lens
 Optical bench
 Screen
 Light source (e.g., candle or bulb)
 Ruler or measuring tape
Introduction
Lenses are fundamental optical components that manipulate light through the
process of refraction. Depending on their shape, lenses can either converge or
diverge light rays, enabling their use in various optical systems such as microscopes,
cameras, and telescopes. A convex lens, also known as a converging lens, brings
parallel rays to a focal point, while a concave lens, or diverging lens, causes parallel
rays to spread out as if emanating from a virtual focal point.
The focal length, a critical property of a lens, defines the distance between the lens
and its focal point. Understanding and determining the focal length is essential for
1 1 1
the design and application of optical devices. The lens equation = + provides
f v u
a mathematical relationship among the focal length ff, the object distance U, and the
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image distance V. This experiment focuses on verifying this equation and analyzing
the behavior of both convex and concave lenses under controlled conditions.
Prediction
We predicted that by measuring the object distance U and image distance V for
various setups, the lens equation would yield consistent focal lengths for both
convex and concave lenses. Additionally, the combination lens system would
produce results aligning with the effective focal length formula.
Method
1. For Convex Lens:
o The convex lens was placed on the optical bench.

o A light source was positioned at a known object distance U from the
lens.
o The screen was adjusted to capture a sharp image, and the image
distance V was recorded.
o This process was repeated for multiple object distances.
2. For Concave Lens:
o A convex lens was placed in front of the concave lens to form a

combination lens system.
o The light source was aligned, and the screen was adjusted until an
image formed.
o Distances were measured, and the effective focal length was
calculated.
Data and Data Analysis
Trial D d D2 _ d2 4d F=(D2-d2)/4D
1 54 14.9 2693.99 216 12.4721
2 59 22.6 2970.24 236 12.5857
3 64 29.5 3225.75 256 12.6005
4 69 36.2 3450.56 276 12.5020
The focal lengths were calculated using the lens equation:

u+v
f = uv
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For the combination lens system, the effective focal length was determined using:
1 1 1
= -
F effective F convex F concave
Results
The results showed that the measured focal lengths of the convex and concave
lenses were consistent with theoretical predictions. The effective focal length of the
combination system matched the calculated value closely.
Discussion
The experiment validated the lens equation by demonstrating consistent focal

lengths across trials. Sources of error included slight misalignments, parallax errors,
and imperfections in the lenses. These factors introduced minor deviations but did
not significantly affect the overall results. This highlights the importance of precision
and alignment in optical experiments.
Conclusion
This experiment successfully determined the focal lengths of convex and concave
lenses and verified the lens equation. The findings reinforced theoretical concepts
and emphasized the practical applications of lenses in optical systems.
Post-lab Questions and Answers
1. Two real images can be found for a given object-screen distance. The
similarities are that both images are real and inverted. The differences lie in
their sizes and distances from the lens. The general principle explaining the
existence of two images is the lens equation, which allows two solutions for
certain object-screen setups. What general principle explains the existence of
two images?
2. The lens in the human eye forms a real, inverted image on the retina.
However, there is no contradiction in seeing upright images because the
brain processes and flips the image upright during perception.
3. The focal lengths of lenses 1, 2, and 3 can be determined using the lens
1 1 1
equation: = - Based on measurements recorded during the
f v u
experiment, the calculated focal lengths are as follows:
 Lens 1: [Insert Focal Length 1]
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DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND

BEHAVIORAL STUDIES SECTION – 2

1. DAGIM YENENEH UGR/0986/17

Lab instructor's: Ato Emiru A.

Pre-lab Questions and Answers ………………………………………………………………… 2

Data and Data analysis …………….………………………………………………………………. 4

Post Lab Question …………….…………………………………………………………………….. 5

Pre-lab questions and answers

1. Mark the following statements about lenses as true or false.

1. (a) False, (b) True, (c) False, (d) False.

1. To measure the focal lengths of convex and concave lenses.

1. For Convex Lens:

o The convex lens was placed on the optical bench.

2. For Concave Lens:

o A convex lens was placed in front of the concave lens to form a

Data and Data Analysis

The focal lengths were calculated using the lens equation:

The experiment validated the lens equation by demonstrating consistent focal

Post-lab Questions and Answers

 Lens 1: [Insert Focal Length 1]

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