Converging lens explorer
Move an object around a converging lens to compare real, virtual, upright, and inverted images.
What if you changed…
Move the object inside the focal length. How does the image change?
See the calculation
- 1/dᵢ = 1/10 − 1/25 = 0.06 cm⁻¹.
- Image distance = 16.67 cm. Magnification = −dᵢ/dₒ = -0.67.
- Image height = M × hₒ = -2 cm.
What this model assumes
Ideal thin converging lens and paraxial rays. A positive object distance represents a real object; negative image distance represents a virtual image.
Keep an eye on this
At the focal point, outgoing rays are parallel and there is no finite image position. Very large images may extend outside the schematic.
Understand the physics ↗Converging lens explorer: common questions
Wondering about the why? Start here.
What is a virtual image?
It appears where backward extensions of light rays meet. The rays do not actually converge there, so that image cannot be projected directly onto a screen.
What does negative magnification mean?
The image is inverted relative to the object. Its absolute value gives the ratio of image height to object height.