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The focal point F and focal length f of a positive (convex) lens, a negative (concave) lens, a concave mirror, and a convex mirror. The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light; it is the inverse of the system's optical power.
Lenses are characterized by their focal length: a converging lens has positive focal length, while a diverging lens has negative focal length. Smaller focal length indicates that the lens has a stronger converging or diverging effect. The focal length of a simple lens in air is given by the lensmaker's equation. [44]
It is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length of the device: P = 1/f. [1] High optical power corresponds to short focal length. The SI unit for optical power is the inverse metre (m −1), which, in this case, is commonly called the dioptre (symbol: dpt or D). Converging lenses have positive optical power, while diverging lenses have
If the medium surrounding an optical system has a refractive index of 1 (e.g., air or vacuum), then the distance from each principal plane to the corresponding focal point is just the focal length of the system. In the more general case, the distance to the foci is the focal length multiplied by the index of refraction of the medium.
If you place another lens with focal length f at the distance 2f from that image plane and then put an image sensor at 2f beyond that lens, that lens will relay the first image to the second image with 1:1 magnification (see thin lens formula showing that with object distance = from the lens, the image distance from the lens is calculated to ...
The signs are reversed for the back surface of the lens: R 2 is positive if the surface is concave, and negative if it is convex. This is an arbitrary sign convention; some authors choose different signs for the radii, which changes the equation for the focal length. For a thin lens, d is much smaller than one of the radii of curvature (either ...
Using a positive lens of focal length f, a virtual image results when S 1 < f, the lens thus being used as a magnifying glass (rather than if S 1 ≫ f as for a camera). Using a negative lens ( f < 0 ) with a real object ( S 1 > 0 ) can only produce a virtual image ( S 2 < 0 ), according to the above formula.
The f-number N is given by: = where f is the focal length, and D is the diameter of the entrance pupil (effective aperture).It is customary to write f-numbers preceded by "f /", which forms a mathematical expression of the entrance pupil's diameter in terms of f and N. [1]