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lens
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How lenses and mirrors affect light and vision
Diagram showing how convex and concave lenses form images: Convex lenses create real, inverted images at different positions depending on object distance, or a virtual, upright image if the object is close. Concave lenses always form a virtual, upright, and smaller image between the object and the lens. Light rays and image locations are illustrated for each scenario. Diagram showing cross-sections of common lenses on the left, with three converging lenses above and three diverging lenses below. On the right, light rays are shown passing through a converging lens, focusing at point F on the principal axis, and through a diverging lens, spreading outward as if originating from focal point F. Labels indicate axis, focal point, focal length, and focal plane. curve generator Side-by-side photos of roses in a glass vase by a window show glare on the tabletop through an unpolarized lens and reduced glare through a polarized lens. lens aberrations Diagram of a double convex lens bending diverging rays from a star-shaped light source so they converge toward an eye. convex and concave lenses: bending light focal length of a lens Gauss theory of lenses
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lens: References & Edit History

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Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: OpenStax - Physics - Lenses. Mar 09, 2026
Add new Web site: The Physics Classroom - The Anatomy of a Lens. Jan 30, 2026
Add new Web site: Physics LibreTexts - Lenses. Dec 18, 2025
Add new Web site: OpenStax - Physics - Lenses. Oct 11, 2022
Replaced video. May 11, 2021
Add new Web site: Glasses History - History of Optics and Lenses. Apr 02, 2020
Add new Web site: Optic4Kids - Lenses and Geometrical Optics. Jan 28, 2013
Add new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - Lens. Jan 27, 2013
Video explaining convex and concave lenses added. Aug 05, 2011
Added art showing ray diagrams depicting images formed by convex and concave lenses. May 25, 2011
Added diagram of concave and convex lenses bending light. Aug 26, 2010
Article restructured. Aug 28, 2009
Added new Web site: Wolfram MathWorld - Lens. May 10, 2009
Article revised. Dec 31, 1998
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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