Olivia Kingery Physics - Research Paper November 4, 2013 3rd Period Thin Lenses

I recently researched Chapter 14, section 2 over Thin Lenses. I was in charge of finding out the difference between converging and diverging lenses, how they work in contacts, eyeglasses, telescopes and microscopes. I knew the first thing I had to do was better understand what lenses are and what they do myself before I tried to teach the information to anyone else. The basic background information that I found is that lenses use refraction, unlike mirrors that use reflection. Refraction is simply the bending of light as it passes from one substance to another. A lens forms an imagine by bending rays of light that pass through it. There are two types of lenses, converging and diverging. Another name for diverging lenses is concave lenses. An easy way to remember this is by remembering how the entrance of a cave (concave) is curved inward, just like the outside of these lenses are curved inward. These lenses are thinner in the middle, causing the rays of light to appear to come from a single point. As light passes through these lenses, it is bent upward and then after it is passed through, the light splits in an outward direction (it diverges). Another name for converging lenses is convex lenses. These lenses are thicker in the middle, causing rays of light that are originally parallel to meet at a single point called the focal point. As light passes through these lenses, it is bent downward and then after it is passed through, the light meets at a point (focal point). Lenses are used to improve or even correct peoples vision, whether through contacts or eyeglasses. Nearsightedness is when the eye is too long. This is when the focal point is in front of the retina instead of being sharply focused in. To correct this problem, diverging lenses are used either in contact lenses or eyeglasses. Farsightedness is when the eye is too short and the

focal point is behind the retina. To correct this problem, converging lenses are used either in contact lenses or eyeglasses. Lenses are also used in compound microscopes and compound telescopes. A compound telescope is an instrument used to make distant objects appear nearer. Telescopes contain an arrangement of lenses. The converging lens in the middle causes rays of light to bend and come together at a bright point. Objective lens that are located at the end are used to bring the light to a focus. A compound microscope is used to view very small objects, such as animal and plants cells which are typically magnified hundreds of times. A microscope has two main lenses. The ocular lens that is located at the eyepiece and the objective lens that is located right above the stage. When I started this project, I had no idea what I was going to do as far as teaching my class, because I didnt know a thing about the topic. I was very stressed while trying to find the information to put into my presentation. By the time I got it done I felt as though everything had fallen into place and I knew my topic very well. Even with all of the stress and rushing, Im glad that I received this topic and had to teach it back to the class. It helped me realize just how much I am capable of.

Work Sited
staff, M. (2012, March 3). Definition. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nearsightedness/DS00528 staff, M. (2012, April 24). Definition. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/farsightedness/DS00527 Diverging Lenses - Ray Diagrams. (n.d.). Diverging Lenses - Ray Diagrams. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refrn/U14l5ea.cfm

Converging Lenses - Object-Image Relations. (n.d.). Converging Lenses - Object-Image Relations. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refrn/u14l5db.cfm How a Compound Light Microscope Works. (n.d.). Compound Light Microscope: How It Works. Retrieved October 29, 2013, from http://www.indepthinfo.com/microscopes/compound.htm Hewitt, P. (2009). Lenses. Conceptual Physics The High School Program (pp. 602 - 616). Upper Saddle River : Pearson Education .