College of Natural and Computational Sciences

(CNCS)
LAB REPORT
Experiment 9

Group Name Id
Members Eyosiyas Showakena UGR/8198/16
Ananya Getenet UGR/9154/16
SECTION-13 Zewetr Awgichew UGR/5423/15
Nebiyu Webetu UGR/4827/16
Title Focal length of Lenses
Lecturer’s name

2023/2024
Academic Year
2016 E.C
6.1 Title: Focal length of Lenses: Measurement of
focal length
6.2 Objective: The objective of the focal length of lenses experiment
is to measure the focal length of a converging and a diverging lens, and to
understand how they form images of objects.

A focal length is the distance from the center of the lens to the point where
parallel rays of light converge (for a converging lens) or appear to diverge
(for a diverging lens). The focal length depends on the shape and the
material of the lens. A lens with a shorter focal length bends light more
than a lens with a longer focal length, and thus has a higher power.

To measure the focal length of a lens, one can use the thin lens equation:

f1=do1+di1

where f is the focal length, do is the distance from the object to the lens,
and di is the distance from the image to the lens. By placing an object (such
as a light source) and a screen on an optical bench, and moving the lens
until a clear image is formed on the screen, one can measure do and di and
calculate f. Alternatively, one can plot do1 versus di1 and find the slope of
the line, which is equal to f1.

6.3 Theory: The theory of focal length of lenses experiment is based

on the principles of refraction and image formation by thin lenses.
Refraction is the bending of light when it passes from one medium to
another with a different index of refraction. A thin lens is a transparent
object that has two spherical surfaces, and can be either converging or
diverging depending on the shape and the material of the lens. A
converging lens is thicker at the center than at the edges, and can bring
parallel rays of light to a focus at a point called the focal point. A diverging
lens is thinner at the center than at the edges, and can make parallel rays of
light appear to diverge from a focal point.

The focal length of a lens is the distance from the center of the lens to the
focal point, and it depends on the curvatures of the front and back surfaces
of the lens, and the index of refraction of the lens material. The focal length
can be calculated using the lens maker’s equation:

f1=(n−1) (R11−R21)
where f is the focal length, n is the index of refraction of the lens, R1 is the
radius of curvature of the front surface, and R2 is the radius of curvature of
the back surface.

To measure the focal length of a lens experimentally, one can use the thin
lens equation:

f1=do1+di1

where f is the focal length, do is the distance from the object to the lens,
and di is the distance from the image to the lens. By placing an object (such
as a light source) and a screen on an optical bench, and moving the lens
until a clear image is formed on the screen, one can measure do and di and
calculate f. Alternatively, one can plot do1 versus di1 and find the slope of
the line, which is equal to f1.

To understand how lenses form images, one can use ray tracing rules for
thin lenses. These rules describe how light rays from an object pass through
a lens and form an image. There are three main rules:

 A ray parallel to the principal axis of the lens will pass through (or
appear to come from) the focal point on the other side of the lens.
 A ray passing through (or heading towards) the focal point on one
side of the lens will emerge parallel to the principal axis on the other
side of the lens.
 A ray passing through the center of the lens will continue in the same
direction.

By drawing these rays, one can locate the position, size, and orientation of
the image. The image can be either real or virtual, depending on whether
the rays actually converge or only appear to converge. A real image can be
projected on a screen, while a virtual image can only be seen by looking
through the lens.

6.4 EQUIPMENT
1. Optical bench ()
2. holders for lenses ()
3 a screen to form images ()
4. meter stick ()
5. concave lens (1)
6. convex lenses different focal lengths (2)
7. Lamp with object on face (illuminated object) (1)

6.5 PROCEDURE/ DATA COLLECTION

1. Place the screen at a distance D from the illuminated object as shown in
fig 9.1.
2. Place the lens between the object and the screen at a point where a clear
image appears on the screen.Note the position of the lens stand.
3. Keeping the object and the screen fixed, a second position is found in
which the lens gives a well focused
4. Repeat the above steps for five different values of D.
5. tabulate the corresponding sets of D and d
In this step Discovery the following
(a) determine the average value of the focal length ¯f
(b) plot D² −d² vs 4D and determine the focal length f∗. from the slope
(c) compare ¯f and f∗
6. repeat the above procedure for the second convex lens
7. repeat the above procedure for the concave lens.

6.6 Data and Data Table

On this experiment we have collected the data required as follows

Sr no D(cm) d(cm) D d (cm) 4D(cm) f=D -d (cm)

2— 2 2 2

4D
1 43 12 1705 172 9.91

2 60 35 2375 240 9.89

3 45 15.5 1784.75 180 9.91
4 55 29 2184 220 9.92
5 50 23 1971 200 9.85

6.7 Data analysis and Error analysis

To calculate the focal length we used the below formula
f=D -d
2 2
where f = focal length
4D D= distance of the object and focusing plane
d=distance of the lens and focusing plane
=43 -12
2 2

172
= 1705
172
=9.91cm
The percentage error occurred in this experiment is 0.3%

6.8 Conclusion
In summary, the derived formula f = (D^2 - d^2)/(4D) is a result of
manipulating the lens formula under the assumption of a thin lens,
ultimately providing a concise expression for calculating the focal length of
a lens based on object and image distances.

The formula f = (D^2 - d^2)/(4D) is a mathematical expression used to

calculate the focal length of a lens, where D is the object distance and d is
the image distance. This formula is derived from the lens formula and is
specific to situations where the lens is thin and the distances are measured
along its principal axis.

The focal length is represented in terms of D and d using the formula (D^2
- d^2) / 4D, so we can see that it is a reflection of the relationship between
the distances and the focal length in a particular geometric arrangement.
This is related to the behavior of the lens itself. Regardless of the specific
object and image distances, the lens always refracts incoming light rays in a
consistent manner, ultimately preserving a constant focal length. This
consistency is a result of the inherent optical properties and behavior of the
lens, leading to a fixed focal length under varying object-image distance
combinations.

Overall, the constancy of the focal length for different values of D and d
remains consistent due to the inherent properties and behavior of the lens,
ultimately resulting in a consistent focal point for image formation
regardless of the variations in the object and image distances.
6.9 Evaluation
As a group, we believe we did a great job in this experiment. The results we
obtained when we put our measurements in the formula were consistent
with what we expected to get before taking the measurements and
therefore, we can say we carried out a successful experiment.

Some errors might have occurred when we were taking measurements of D

and d because the optical bench we were using wasn’t graduated to the
nearest millimeters and we had to make accurate assumptions to the values
of some of the measurements, but every group member was happy with the
values we took for each measurement so we believe the error that might
have occurred is very mere.

We believe this is a result of mutual respect and understanding between us

group members and we plan on keeping this spirit for other experiments to
come as well.