Lens and

Lecture 37: Lenses and mirrors
• Spherical lenses: converging, diverging

• Plane mirrors
• Spherical mirrors: concave, convex
The animated ray diagrams were created by Dr. Alan Pringle.

Terms and sign conventions for lenses and mirrors
• object distance s, positive
• image distance s’ ,
• positive if image is on side of outgoing light, i.e. same side of mirror,
opposite side of lens: real image
• s’ negative if image is on same side of lens/behind mirror: virtual image
• focal length f
positive for concave mirror and converging lens
negative for convex mirror and diverging lens
• object height h, positive
• image height h’
positive if the image is upright
negative if image is inverted
• magnification m= h’/h , positive if upright, negative if inverted

Lens equation
1 1 1 𝑠 ′ ℎ′
+ = 𝑚=− = magnification
𝑠 𝑠′ 𝑓 𝑠 ℎ
𝑓𝑠
𝑠′ =
𝑠−𝑓
Converging and diverging lenses
f f
F F
Rays refract towards optical axis Rays refract away from optical axis
thicker in the thinner in the

center center
• there are focal points on both sides of each lens

• focal length f on both sides is the same
Ray diagram for converging lens
Ray 1 is parallel to the axis and refracts through F.

Ray 2 passes through F’ before refracting parallel to the axis.
Ray 3 passes straight through the center of the lens.
F I
O F’
object between f and 2f: image is real, inverted, enlarged

object outside of 2f: image is real, inverted, reduced
object inside of f: image is virtual, upright, enlarged
Ray diagram for diverging lens
Ray 1 is parallel to the axis and refracts as if from F.

Ray 2 heads towards F’ before refracting parallel to the axis.
Ray 3 passes straight through the center of the lens.
O F I F’
image is always virtual, upright and reduced

Plane mirror
• point object A,
source of light
• reflected rays appear to come from A’  A’ is image of A

• image appears to be located behind the mirror  image is
virtual
Image of an extended object
• every point of the object acts as light source

• every point has an image
• collection of image points form image of the object
• image is upright, virtual, same size as object (h’=h), s’=s
Spherical mirror
• made from (polished) sections cut from

a spherical surface
• center of curvature C is center of
original sphere
• vertex V is center of mirror segment
• radius of curvature R is radius of

sphere, or the distance from V to C.
R
V
Principal Axis C
• principal axis (or optical axis) is line

passing through C and V
Rays parallel to the axis get reflected through a common point
the focal point or focus F.
Focal length f is distance from V to F.
f
C F V
Concave and convex mirror
concave convex
F
Ray diagrams
Ray 1 is parallel to the axis

and reflects through F.
Ray 2 passes through F

before reflecting parallel to
V
the axis. C F
Ray 3 passes through
C and reflects back on
itself.
Ray 4 goes to the vertex V and reflects under the same

angle below the optical axis
Ray Diagrams for Concave Mirrors
• image is formed where the outgoing rays cross
• two principal rays are sufficient to find image,
use third and fourth to check your diagram
Example:
• object outside center (s>2f)
 image is real, inverted,
and smaller than object
(“telescope”)
C F
• object between f and 2f
 image is real, inverted,
and larger than object
(“microscope”)
Real image: outgoing rays do cross. Can be captured on screen or by camera.

• object inside the focal point (s<f)
 image is virtual, upright, and larger than object
(makeup mirror)
Ray 1: parallel to the axis Ray 2: through F then parallel to

then through F. the axis.
Ray 3: “through” C.
C F
Ray Diagrams for Convex Mirrors
Ray 1: parallel to the axis Ray 2: Vertex.

then from F.
Ray 3: from C.
F C
Ray 4: towards F,
then parallel.
• image is virtual, upright, and smaller

than object
Concave mirrors:
Shaving and makeup mirrors

Solar cookers
Satellite dishes (for EM waves)
Convex mirrors:
Passenger side rear-view mirrors

Anti-shoplifting (surveillance) mirrors
Christmas tree ornaments
Image formation for mirrors and lenses
Type Focal Object Image Character Orientation Size

length f distance s distance s’
Concave f>0 s > 2f f < s’ < 2f real inverted reduced
mirror/
Converging
lens
f < s < 2f s’ > 2f real inverted enlarged
s<f s’<0 virtual upright enlarged
Convex f<0 s>0 s’ < 0 virtual upright reduced

mirror/
diverging
lens
Do not memorize! We can easily get this from the equation!

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Lecture 37: Lenses and mirrors

• Spherical lenses: converging, diverging

The animated ray diagrams were created by Dr. Alan Pringle.

• object height h, positive

• magnification m= h’/h , positive if upright, negative if inverted

thicker in the thinner in the

• there are focal points on both sides of each lens

Ray 1 is parallel to the axis and refracts through F.

object between f and 2f: image is real, inverted, enlarged

Ray 1 is parallel to the axis and refracts as if from F.

image is always virtual, upright and reduced

• reflected rays appear to come from A’  A’ is image of A

• every point of the object acts as light source

• made from (polished) sections cut from

• radius of curvature R is radius of

• principal axis (or optical axis) is line

Ray 1 is parallel to the axis

Ray 2 passes through F

Ray 4 goes to the vertex V and reflects under the same

Real image: outgoing rays do cross. Can be captured on screen or by camera.

Ray 1: parallel to the axis Ray 2: through F then parallel to

Ray 1: parallel to the axis Ray 2: Vertex.

• image is virtual, upright, and smaller

Shaving and makeup mirrors

Passenger side rear-view mirrors

Type Focal Object Image Character Orientation Size

s<f s’<0 virtual upright enlarged

Convex f<0 s>0 s’ < 0 virtual upright reduced

Do not memorize! We can easily get this from the equation!

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