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The focal point F and focal length f of a positive (convex) lens, a negative (concave) lens, a concave mirror, and a convex mirror. The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light; it is the inverse of the system's optical power.
For a lens, or a spherical or parabolic mirror, it is a point onto which collimated light parallel to the axis is focused. Since light can pass through a lens in either direction, a lens has two focal points – one on each side. The distance in air from the lens or mirror's principal plane to the focus is called the focal length.
For a single lens surrounded by a medium of refractive index n = 1, the locations of the principal points H and H ′ with respect to the respective lens vertices are given by the formulas = ′ = (), where f is the focal length of the lens, d is its thickness, and r 1 and r 2 are the radii of curvature of its surfaces. Positive signs indicate ...
A real image occurs at points where rays actually converge, whereas a virtual image occurs at points that rays appear to be diverging from. Real images can be produced by concave mirrors and converging lenses, only if the object is placed further away from the mirror/lens than the focal point, and this real image is inverted. As the object ...
This is the lens's front focal point. Rays from an object at a finite distance are associated with a virtual image that is closer to the lens than the focal point, and on the same side of the lens as the object. The closer the object is to the lens, the closer the virtual image is to the lens.
Incoming parallel rays are focused by a convex lens into an inverted real image one focal length from the lens, on the far side of the lens. Rays from an object at finite distance are focused further from the lens than the focal distance; the closer the object is to the lens, the further the image is from the lens.
Another extreme case of a thick convex lens is a ball lens, whose shape is completely round. When used in novelty photography it is often called a "lensball". A ball-shaped lens has the advantage of being omnidirectional, but for most optical glass types, its focal point lies close to the ball's
A convex lens or concave mirror will cause parallel rays to focus, converging toward a point. Beyond that focal point, the rays diverge. Conversely, a concave lens or convex mirror will cause parallel rays to diverge. Light does not actually consist of imaginary rays and light sources are not single-point sources, thus vergence is typically ...