TUTORIAL 5. BS206.

Optical microscopy.
Coordinator: Jaume Torres
1. A converging lens with focal length 12 cm forms a virtual image 8 mm tall, 17 cm to the left
of the lens. What is the position and size of the object. Is the image erect or inverted? Are
object and image on the same side of the lens? Draw a principal ray diagram for this
example. What if the lens is diverging, with focal length f = -48.0 cm?.
Sols: 7 cm, 3.3 mm; 26.3 cm, 1.24 cm
If the lens forms a virtual image, the object (o) must be inside the focal distance (see
drawing), and the image (i) is upright (like in a magnifier lens).
The lens is converging, therefore f is positive
The image is virtual, therefore s is negative

1 1 1
+ =
s s' f
1 1
1
= ; s = 7cm
s 17 12
Therefore, the lateral magnification is

s ' y '
=
= 2.43
s
y

The size of the object y is 3.3 mm

Note that from the formula I gave during the lecture M =

25cm
the magnification would be a
f

bit smaller, 2.08. This would be the magnification if the object was at a distance near F. This
means maximum comfort for the eye because the image is formed at infinite, and the eye lens
does not have to change the focal distance to accommodate the image on the retina.
I know, this statement looks a bit confusing (the image formed at infinite?, we would not see a
thing!). However, when you are facing this problem for the magnifier lens, think of the
subtended angles to see the magnification, not the formula 1/s + 1/s = 1/f which does not
apply in the case where the object is at distance f from the lens in the magnifier (but it applies
in other cases). If you place the object very close to F, yes, the image seems to be bigger, but
the ratio between the subtended angles (between the image-lens and object lens) is not.
See this link to see what a subtended angle means:
http://www.mathopenref.com/subtend.html
Anyway, if the lens is diverging, f is negative
The image is virtual, therefore s is negative

1 1 1
+ =
s s' f
1 1
1
=
; s = 26.3cm
s 17 48

Therefore, the lateral magnification is

s ' y '
=
= 0.64 (if it is smaller than 1, it means
s
y

that the image will be smaller tan the object)

y=

and the size of the object will be

y'
= 1.24cm
m

2. An object is 16 cm to the left of a lens. The lens forms an image 36 cm to the right of the
lens. What is the focal length of the lens? Is the lens converging or diverging? If the object is
8 mm tall, how tall is the image? Is it erect or inverted? Draw a principal ray diagram.
Sols: -1.8 cm

The lens must be converging because the image is on the right (real), and we know the image
must be inverted.

1 1 1
+ = , f = 11.1 cm
s s' f
s ' 36
y'
=
= 2.25 =
Therefore y = -18 mm
M=
16
s
y
(negative because the image is inverted)

Applying the formula

3. The wavelengths of the visible spectrum are approximately 400 nm (violet) to 700 nm (red).
Find the angular width of the first order visible spectrum produced by a plane grating with 600
slits/mm when white light falls normally on the grating.
Sols: 11

Light illuminates the grating (similar to a CD surface) and spreads in all directions from each
of the troughs (imagine throwing a stone in the water at each trough). Constructive
interference (bright spots) will only be observed in the directions indicated. The smallest angle
at which we will observe a bright spot will be sin 1 =

at which we will observe a bright spot will be sin 1 =

on.

(first order reflection). The next angle

2
(second order reflection), and so
a

The parameter a is the separation between troughs

1mm
= 1.66 103 nm
600

Of course, the precise angle 1 at which we will see the first reflection depends on the
wavelength, and it will not be the same for all the visible light (that means we will see a
rainbow).

For light of 400 nm wavelength (blue)

400nm
= 0.24
1.66 103 nm
1 = 13.94D

For light of 700 nm wavelength (red)

700nm
= 0.421
1.66 103 nm
1 = 24.94D

sin 1 =

sin 1 =

These are the two extreme wavelengths at each end of the rainbow, so any visible
wavelength in between has to fall between these two angles

The angular width will be 24.94 13.94 = 11 degrees over which the rainbow will be
observed.
4. Light of a certain wavelength, , is incident on a slit 0.750 mm wide. On a screen 2 m
away, the distance from the central maximum of the diffraction pattern to the first minimum is
1.35 mm. Use the condition

d sin = m
where d is the width of the slit
Calculate the wavelength of the light. What would happen if the slit was 0.4 mm, 0.03 mm,
0.003 mm
What would happen to the difraction pattern if the wavelenth was (a) shorter or (b) longer?

Sols: 506 nm, 2.52 mm, 33 mm, 330 mm

This problem has one slit (one aperture) which is much larger than the wavelength of light.
We will observe some diffraction coming from the slit.

The position of the first minimum (destructive

interference, arrow) will be found with the
formula sin 1 =

We should note here that for small angles

sin 1 = tg 1

Therefore,

103 m
1.35mm
mm = 6.75 104
tg =
2m
Because for small angles sin 1 = tg
use tg

instead of sin

sin = 6.75 104 =

1 , we can

a
= 5.06 10 mm = 506nm
4

This is the wavelength that will produce a diffraction pattern with a minimum at that angle.

(b) sin =

506nm
= 1.265 103
6
0.4 10 nm

But for small angles sin 1 = tg

Therefore the tangent of that angle will be very close to 1.26 x 10-3

tg =

x
= 1.265 103 and x = 2.53 mm
2m

Following the same strategy...

c)

506nm
= 0.0168 = tg and x = 33 mm
0.03 106 nm

d) same thing ... x= 330 mm

e) if the wavelength was longer, the dark fringes and the maxima would appear more
separated. If the wavelength is shorter the minima and maxima would appear closer to each
other. The same effect can be achieved by making the slit larger or smaller (see Figure..)

5. A laser beam (= 632.8 nm) shines at normal incidence (perpendicular to the surface) on a
compact disk (CD). The tracks of tiny pits in which information is coded onto the CD are 1.60
m apart. For what angles of reflection (taken from the perpendicular to the surface) will the
intensity be maximum?.
Sols: 23.26; 52.3
This is similar to problem 3, where we have a grating. Instead of a grating made of troughs ,
were light bounces from the surface, we could also have an array of slits, where light passes
through, it is the same thing. In one case, the interference happens on one side of the
surface, and in the other at the other side, but the angles involved are the same. See Fig,
below. In this case, we have to find each one of the cases where there will be a maximum of
intensity, ie, first reflection, second, third, etc..

For the first reflection, sin 1 =

632.8nm
= 0.395
160 103 nm
1 = 23.26D
sin 1 =

For the second reflection, sin 1 =

2
a

2 632.8nm
= 0.791
160 103 nm
2 = 52.3D
sin 2 =

For the third reflection

sin 3 =

3 632.8nm
= 1.186
160 103 nm

3 = ?
No angle possible, therefore there are only
2 orders of reflection here.

6. The focal length of the eyepiece of a microscope is 18 mm. The focal length
objective is 8 mm. The distance between objective and eyepiece is 19.7 cm. The final
formed by the eyepiece is at infinity. If all lenses are thin lenses, what is the
magnification produced by the objective? What is the overall angular magnification
microscope?
Sols: -21.38; 302X

of the
image
linear
of the

That the image of the eyepiece is formed at infinity means that we consider that the image
formed by the objective is near the focal point of the eyepiece, therefore s must be at least
19.7- 1.8 cm = 17.9 cm
The distance s, from object to
objective, will be:

1 1 1
+ =
s s' f
1
1
1

=
; s = 0.837 cm
s 17.9 0.8

objective will be

s ' 17.9
m=
=
= 21.38
s
0.837

The

magnification

of

the

(negative because it is an inverted

image)
The angular magnification of the eyepiece will be M =

25cm
= 13.9
f

The total magnification will be 21.38 x 13.9 = 302 times