DR. A.N.

KHOSLA DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL, ROURKELA

APPARATUS REQUIRED
• An optical bench
• a convex lens with lens holder
• two optical needles
• a half metre scale.

RAY DIAGRAM

THEORY

The relation between u, v and f for a convex lens is

Where
f = focal length of convex lens
u = distance of object needle from optical centre of the lens
v = distance of image needle from optical centre of the lens.

GRAPHS
PROCEDURE :

• Obtain the image of the tree or the building on a white painted wall (screen) and move the lens forward and
backward to get a sharp image on the wall.
• Measure the distance between the lens and the wall (screen). This will be equal to the rough focal length of
the lens.
• Clamp the holder with lens in a fixed upright and keep the upright at 50 cm mark.and adjust the lens such
that its surface is vertical and perpendicular to the length of the optical bench.
• Take the thin optical needle (object needle) and adjust height of the object needle to make its tip lie on
horizontal line through the optical centre of the lens.
• Note the position of the index mark on the base of the object needle upright.
• With left eye closed, see with the right open eye from the other end of the optical bench. An inverted and
enlarged image of the object needle will be seen. Tip of the image must lie in the middle of the lens.
• Mount the thick optical needle (image needle) on the other end of the optical bench and adjust the height of
the image needle so that its tip is seen in line with the tip of the image when seen with right open eye.
• Note the position of the index mark on base of the image needle upright.
• Record the position of the index marks on the base of upright of the lens, the object needle and the image
needle in the observation table.

OBSERVATIONS
POSITION OF 𝟏 𝟏
(cm) (cm)
SL.NO. u (cm) v (cm) 𝒖 𝒗
LENS OBJECT IMAGE
(cm) NEEDLE (cm) NEEDLE (cm)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

CALCULATIONS

(i) Plot the various points for different sets of values of u and v from observation table in the second quadrant. The
graph comes out to be a hyperbola as shown in graph between u and v.
Draw a line OA making an angle of 45° with either axis and meeting the curve at point A. Draw AB and AC
perpendicular on X’- and Y-axes, respectively.

The values of u and v will be same for point A. So the coordinates of point A must be (2f, 2f) because for a convex
lens,when u=2f and v=2f.

Hence, AB=AC=2f or OC=OB=2f

Therefore, the value of focal length, f = ........cm

𝟏 𝟏
(ii) Plot the various points for different sets of values of 𝒖 and from observation table in the second quadrant. The
𝒗
𝟏 𝟏
graph comes out to be a straight line as shown in graph between 𝒖 and .
𝒗

The straight line cuts the two axes at an angle of 450 at points P and Q respectively and making the equal intercepts
on the axes. Measure the distance OP and OQ.
𝟏 𝟏
Therefore, the value of focal length, f = 𝑶𝑷 = 𝑶𝑸 = .......cm
RESULT

Rough focal length of the given convex lens = …….cm

The focal length of the given convex lens as determined from

PRECAUTIONS

• Tips of the object and image needles should lie at the same height as the centre of the lens.
• Parallax should be removed from tip to tip by keeping eye at a distance at least 30 cm away from the needle.
• The object needle should be placed at such a distance that only real, inverted image of it is formed.

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