CONVEX LENS

FOCAL LENGTH OF CONVEX LENS

BY U-V METHOD

Demonstrated By: JNYAN RANJAN GURU

DEMONSTRATOR/ LAB INCHARGE, LHTA
AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT

To find the focal length of a convex lens by plotting graphs between u and v or
between 1/u and 1/v .

APPARATUS REQUIRED
➢ An Optical Bench
➢ Three Uprights With Clamps
➢ Two Sharp Edged Needles
➢ Convex Lens
➢ Index Needle/ Knitting Needle
➢ Half-Metre Scale

THEORY
➢ For a body positioned at a distance ‘u’ from the optical centre of a thin convex
lens of focal length ‘f’, an inverted and real image is generated on the lens’s
other side at a distance ‘v’ from the optical centre. The relationship between
these quantities is:
➢ 1/f = (1/v)- (1/u)
➢ From this equation, the focal length is, 1/f = (u-v)/uv
➢ F = uv/ (u-v)

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RAY DIAGRAM

PROCEDURE

To Find Rough Focal Length Of The Convex Lens:

1. Obtain approximate value of the focal length of the thin convex

lens by focusing the image of a distant object. It can be found
by obtaining a sharp image of the Sun or a distant tree on a
screen, Say a plane wall, or a sheet of paper placed on the other
side of the lens and measuring the distance between the lens
and the image With a scale. This distance is a rough estimate of
the focal length,F of the convex lens.
2. Do not look at the image of Sun directly as it may hurt your
eyes.

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To Locate The Image Formed By Convex Lens:

1. Place the optical bench on a rigid table or on a platform, and

using the spirit level, make it horizontal with the help of
levelling screws Provided at the base of the bench.
2. Clamp the convex lens on an upright and mount it vertically
almost near to the middle of the optical bench such that its
principal axis Is parallel to the optical bench. In this position, the
lens would lie In a plane perpendicular to the optical bench.
3. For the determination of the index correction, bring a mounted pin
close to the lens. Adjust the index needle (a sharp-edged knitting
needle would also serve the purpose) horizontally such that its one
end touches one of the curved surfaces of the lens and the other end
touches the tip of the pin. Note the positions of the two uprights on
the scale provided on the optical bench. The difference of the two
would give the observed length of the index needle. The actual
length between the tip of the pin and optical Centre O would be
length of the index needle (as measured by a scale) plus half of the
thickness of the lens because optical centre of a double convex lens
with surfaces of equal curvature is at its Geometrical centre. The
difference of the two lengths is the index Correction. Find index
correction for both the pins.
4. Place the vertically mounted sharp pins P and P′ as in FIGURE on
left and right hand sides of the lens Respectively. Adjust the pins P
and P′ so that the heights of the tips of these pins become equal to
the height of the optical Centre O of the lens from the base of the
optical bench. Let the pin P (placed on left Hand side of the lens )
be the object pin and the pin P′ (lying on right hand side) be the
image pin. Put a small piece of paper on one of the pins (say on
image pin P′) to differentiate it from the object pin P′.

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 5. Displace the object pin P (on left side of the lens) to a distance
slightly less than 2f from the optical centre O of the lens Locate the
position of the real and inverted image on the other side of the lens
above the image pin P′.
6. Using the method of parallax, adjust the position of the image pin
P′ such that the image of the object pin P coincides with the image
pin P′.
7. NOTE: As the value of u changes from 2f to f, v changes from 2f to
infinity. Since the values of u and v are interchangeable, i.e., the
object and image are two conjugate points, therefore it is clear that
complete range of values for both u and v between f and infinity are
obtained for a movement of the object pin over the range 2f to f.
8. Note the upright position of the object pin, convex lens and image
Pin on the optical bench and record the readings in an Observation
table.
9. Move the object pin P closer to the optical centre O of the lens (say
by 2 cm or 3 cm). Repeat the experiment and record at least six sets
of readings for various distances of object pin between f and 2f from
the lens.
10. Record all these observations in a tabular form. Find u & v in
each case.

To Determine The Index Correction:

1. Measure the length of knitting/index needle with a half

metre scale . Let it be ‘x’ cm .
2. Hold the knitting needle between the centre of convex lens
and the tip of the object needle. Read the distance between
the two uprights on the scale on the optical bench. Let it be

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 ‘y’ cm. Determine the index correction (x-y) for the object
distance u.
3. Similarly find the index correction for image needle (x-z) for
image distance v.
4. After adding the respective index correction record the
corrected values of u & v. Also find the values of 1/u & 1/v
in each case.

OBSERVATIONS & CALCULATIONS

Rough focal length of the convex lens = 20 cm

Actual length of the needle, X = 20 cm

Length of knitting needle between object and convex lens Y = 19.5 cm

Length of knitting needle between image and convex lens Z = 19.5 cm

Index correction for object distance u =e1= x-y = 0.5 cm

Index correction for image distance v =e2= x-z = 0.5 cm

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TABULATION
DETERMINATION OF U,V & F FOR THE CONVEX LENS

POSITION OF OBSERV CORRECT 1/u 1/v FOCA

UPRIGHTS ED ED L
DISTAN DISTANC (cm- (cm- LENG
CE E 1
) 1
) TH
f=
(uv)/
(u-v)
Obje Conca Imag OL LI= u = v=
ct ve e = u’ v’ u’ v’ +
Need Lens Need (cm +e1 e2
le (L) le ) (cm
(O) (I) )
9.5 60 93.5 50. 33. 51 34 0.01 0.02 20.4
5 5 9 9
13.5 60 95.5 46. 35. 47 36 0.02 0.02 20.4
5 5 1 7
7.5 50 87.5 42. 37. 43 38 0.02 0.02 20.2
5 5 3 6
15.5 50 93.5 34. 43. 35 44 0.02 0.02 19.5
5 5 8 2
16.5 50 95.5 33. 45. 34 46 0.02 0.02 19.55
5 5 9 1

Mean value of f =(20.4 + 20.4 + 20.2 + 19.5 + 19.55) / 5

= 20.01 cm

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DETERMINATION OF FOCAL LENGTH BY GRAPHICAL
METHOD:
Focal Length From Graph Between (u) & (v):

Take u along X-axis and v along Y-axis. Scales of x- and y-axis should
be same. Draw a hyperbola curve for various values of u and v . Note
that six sets of readings for u between f and 2f, give you 12 points on the
graph by interchanging values of u and v.

The point u = 2f; v = 2f is shown as point A on u – v graph . The point A

is the point of intersection of a line OA bisecting the angle ∠XOY with
hyperbola. Draw two lines AC and AB perpendicular to Y- and X-axis,
respectively. The lengths AB and AC are both equal to distance 2f. Thus
by plotting the u – v graph, the focal length Of the lens can be obtained.

Distance OA (= 2f ) on Y-axis = 40 cm

Distance OB (= 2f ) on X-axis = 40 cm

Mean focal length of the convex lens, f= 20 cm

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Focal Length From Graph Between (1/u) & (1/v):
Draw a straight line graph by plotting 1/u along the X-axis and 1/v
along the Y-axis . Both the intercepts OQ(on Y-axis) and OP (on X-
axis) will be equal to distance 1/f.

Intercept OQ (= 1/f ) on Y-axis= 0.06 cm–1. f = 16.66 cm

Intercept OP (= 1/f ) on X-axis= 0.043 cm–1. f = 23.25 cm

Mean focal length ( f ) of the convex lens= 19.95 cm

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RESULT:
The Focal Length Of The Convex Lens From

➢ Tabulation f = 20.01 cm
➢ u – v graph = 20 cm
➢ (1/u) – (1/v) graph= 19.95 cm
➢ MEAN FOCAL LENGTH f = (20.01 + 20 + 19.95 ) / 3
f = 19.99 cm

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PRECAUTIONS
➢ The uprights supporting the optical elements should be rigid and
Mounted vertically.

➢ The aperture of the lens should be small otherwise the image Formed
will not be distinct.

➢ Eye should be placed at a distance more than 25 cm from the Image

needle.

➢ An error may arise in the observations if the top of the optical Bench is
not horizontal and similarly if the tips of pins and optical Centre of the
lens are not at the same horizontal level.

➢ The image and object needles should not be interchange During the
performance of the experiment, as this may Cause change in index
corrections for object distance and Image distance.

➢ The corrected values of the distances u and v must be put in the formula
for calculating f and then a mean of f should be taken. Calculations for f
must not be made using the mean values of u and v.

SOURCES OF ERROR
➢ The uprights may not be vertical.
➢ Parallax removal may not be perfect.
➢ If the knitting needle or index rod for finding index correction is Not
sharp like a needle, its length may not be accurately found in scale.

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