Optical Lenses. Thickness and curvature

Do you want to learn more about optical lenses, their types and the parameters that characterize them?

The online simulations of optical lenses on this page will help you to better understand how an optical lens works. This page serves as an introduction to the convex lenses and concave lenses pages.

Optical lenses are devices used to control and focus light. They are composed of transparent materials, such as glass or plastic, and have a curved shape that allows light to refract and focus on a specific point.

The thickness and curvature of an optical lens are two of the most important characteristics that determine its optical behavior. The thickness of a lens refers to the distance between its two surfaces, measured along the centerline of the lens. It may be uniform or may vary along the lens, which is known as a lens of varying thickness. The curvature of a lens refers to the shape of its surfaces, which can be concave (inward curvature) or convex (outward curvature), resulting in concave and convex lenses respectively. The curvature of a lens is measured in diopters (D) and is related to the lens’ ability to refract light. A more curved lens will have a greater refractive ability than a less curved lens.

Optical lenses are used in a variety of applications, from the manufacture of eyeglasses and contact lenses to the creation of cameras and telescopes. They are also used in optical instruments to measure the refraction and dispersion of light.

In short, these online simulations of optical lenses represent in a simple and practical way how a lens works.

Lab
Thickness
Geometry I
Geometry II

Lens Laboratory

Thickness and curvature of a lens

This simulation allows you to study how the focal point of a lens changes as its thickness and curvature change. Move the control and observe the results.

Geometric optics I

This simulation explains how an image is formed with a converging lens or plane mirror. Determine how changing the parameters of a lens affects where the image is formed and how it appears. It attempts to predict where an image will form given the object distance and optical parameters.

Ficha

Click here to start the simulation

Geometric optics II

This simulation explains how an image is formed by a converging/diverging lens or mirror. It determines how changing the optics parameters affects where the image appears and how it is viewed. It attempts to predict where an image will form given the object distance and optical parameters.