Bryle Luiz L.

Fojas
PHYS101L/A71
Experiment 112: Thin Lenses
Analysis
The experiment “Thin Lenses” was the 12th and last experiment done by the group. Lens are
materials that are transparent and have two different types which is the converging and diverging
lenses. It is called converging lens when the middle part of the lens is thicker while it is called diverging
lens when its middle part in thinner. Lens have many different purposes like magnification especially
when humans eye is not normal. In the experiment, the following materials were used: 1 pc of
converging lenses, 1 pc image screen, 1 pc light source, and 1 pc optic bench.

The experiment focuses on identifying the focal length and magnification of a converging lens. A
clear image must be formed on the surface after the light passes on the lens. This activity has two parts
where the position changes and has three trials each, in which the distance varies. 90 cm, 100 cm, and
110 cm are the considered distances. The main goal here is to attain the experimental values which has
a percent difference and error that is less than 20 percent.

As I’ve said earlier, the experiment was considered the easiest experiment among the previous
experiment since the materials that were used, and the procedure was simpler than the other
experiments. Through the experiment, the group were able to learn the different classification of lenses
and the purpose of each lens, it was also seen that when the light passes through the mirror, its location
and distance is based on the type of lens that is used.

Table 1. Determination of Focal Length of a Converging Lens (actual value=+20cm)

POSITION 1 POSITION 2
Position of
Object Image Focal Object Image Focal
Image
Distance Distance Length Distance Distance Length
Screen
s s’ f s s’ f
90 cm 59 cm 27 cm 18.523 cm 28 cm 60 cm 19.09 cm
100 cm 74 cm 27 cm 19.78 cm 26 cm 74 cm 19.24 cm
110 cm 86 cm 26 cm 19.96 cm 26 cm 85 cm 19.91 cm
Average focal length 19.42 cm Average focal length 19.41 cm
Percentage Error 2.88 % Percentage Error 2.93 %
The table above shows the data gathered from the three trials with 90cm, 100cm, and 110cm
position of image screen. For the percentage error, the percentage error for the position 1 with
focal length of 19.42cm had 2.88 % which is a good result and for the position 2 with 19.41cm
had 2.93 % error which is also a good result.

Table 2. Image Magnification

Position of Magnification, M Percentage
𝑠′ ℎ
Image Screen M = -𝑠 M = -ℎ 𝑖 Difference
𝑜
POSITION 1 90 cm 0.48 0.475 0.08 %
 100 cm 0.37 0.375 1.30 %
110 cm 0.31 0.300 3.13 %
90 cm 2.10 2.075 1.36 %
POSITION 2 100 cm 2.75 2.725 0.74 %
110 cm 3.31 3.30 0.42 %
The data above shows the values obtained while doing the experiment it is shown that for
different position image screen, the percentage difference was less than 4% which tells that the
experiment was successful since it didn’t reach the maximum percentage error of 20 %.

Sample Computation

Determination of Focal Length

1 1 1
Position 1, Trial 1 = + = 18.52 𝑐𝑚
𝑓 59 27

𝑓1+𝑓2+𝑓3 18.52+19.78+19.96
Average Focal Length = = 19.42 𝑐𝑚
3 3

19.423−20
Percentage Difference 𝑥 100 = 2.88 %
20

Image Magnification

𝑠1
Position 1 Trial 1 (90cm) 𝑀= −
𝑠

29
𝑀=− = 0.4754
61

ℎ1 1.9
𝑀= = = 0.475
ℎ𝑜 4

0.475−0.4754
Percentage Difference 0.475+0.475 𝑥 100 = 0.09 %
( )
2
Conclusion

The group can conclude that the main goal for this experiment was attained, due to the fact that
the percentages computed were all less than the stated ceiling. Additionally, the students were able to
observe and understand the concept of light that passes through converging lens much better. The group
were able to determine the focal length of ca converging lenses using the thin lens equation and compute
the image magnification using the image height and object height and image distance and object distance.

The group learned that the experiment thin lenses is so important because they knew that there
are different classification and type of lenses that each type has different purposes. Lastly, based on the
data gathered, it can be seen that the object distance, and image distance vary from the position of that
object that it will give the measurement of its focal length.