ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

NATURAL SCIENCE FRESHMAN COURSE STREAM

Physics Lab Report

FOCAL LENGTH OF LENSE

BY: Group 10 – CEBS - Section 2

GROUP MEMBER ID NUMBER

1 Abdi Dinka UGR/3014/17

2 Beamlak Bekele UGR/6012/17

3 Amanuel Zemene UGR/0079/17

4 Amanuel Mitiku UGR/6217/17

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: ATO EMIRU ASEFA

NAME OF LAB ASSISTANT: DR. GIZAW BIRHANU

DATE OF EXPERIMENT: 13/12/2024

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 20/12/2024

 FOCAL LENGTH OF LENSE

Introduction:
A lens is a transparent optical element that refracts light rays to converge or diverge,
forming an image. Convex lenses, also known as converging lenses, are widely used in
optical systems such as cameras, magnifying glasses, and telescopes due to their ability to
focus light. The focal length of a lens is a fundamental property that describes the distance
from the lens to the focal point, where parallel rays of light converge after passing through
the lens.

The focal length can be determined experimentally using a lens, an object, and a screen. In
this experiment, the lens equation is applied indirectly to derive a simplified formula for
determining the focal length (f) based on the total distance between the object and the
screen (D) and the distance between the two positions of the lens (d) where a sharp image
is obtained. This approach eliminates the need for directly measuring object and image
distances, making it more practical for experimental setups.

The primary goal of this experiment is to calculate the focal length of a convex lens and
analyse the precision of the results. By understanding the behaviour of light through lenses,
this experiment reinforces key concepts of geometric optics and their practical applications.

Objective:

The objective of this experiment is to determine the focal length (f) of a convex lens by
varying the distance between the object and the screen (D) and measuring the distance
between the two positions of the lens (d) where a sharp and clear image is formed. The
focal length is then calculated using the formula:

f=D2−d2/4D

This experiment aims to verify the relationship between the lens geometry and its focal
length while gaining practical insights into the behaviour of light through lenses.
Limitations:

1. Measurement and Alignment Errors:

Inaccuracies in measuring D and d or misalignment of the lens, object, and screen
can result in errors in the calculated focal length and unclear images.
2. Subjectivity in Sharp Image Detection:
Identifying the exact positions of the lens for a sharp and clear image is subjective
and may vary between observers.
3. Lens and Environmental Factors:
Imperfections in the lens or external factors like vibrations or inconsistent lighting
can affect the precision of the results.

Theory:
A convex lens is a transparent optical device that bends light rays to converge at a focal
point. The focal length (f) is the distance between the lens and its focal point, where parallel
rays of light converge after passing through the lens. The lens equation relates the object
distance (u), image distance (v), and focal length (f) as:
1/f=1/u+1/v

In this experiment, instead of measuring u and v separately, we simplify the procedure by

considering the total distance (D) between the object and the screen, and the distance (d)
between two positions of the lens where sharp images are observed.

The derivation of the formula used in this experiment is based on the geometry of the
setup:

1. The lens can form a sharp image on the screen for two distinct positions because of
the reversible nature of light paths.
2. The distance between the object and the screen (D) remains constant, and the two
lens positions are equidistant from a point where the lens would focus the light
perfectly.
3. Using the above relationships and the lens equation, the focal length is expressed as:

f=D2−d2/4D

This formula is practical and eliminates the need for direct measurement of object and
image distances, making it suitable for experimental determination of the focal length of a
lens.
Apparatus:

1. Lens
2. Object
3. Screen
4. Optical bench
5. Measuring scale or ruler
6. Retort stand
7. Bulb

Procedure:

1. Place the object on one side of the optical bench.

2. Position the screen on the opposite side of the bench.
3. Measure and record the distance between the object and the screen (D).
4. Place the lens between the object and the screen.
5. Adjust the position of the lens to obtain a clear image on the screen.
6. Record the position of the lens
7. Move the lens slightly and adjust its position again to form sharp image.
8. Record the new position of the lens.
9. Calculate the distance between the two lens positions: d=∣d2−d1∣.
10. Use the formula f=D2−d2/4D to calculate the focal length of the lens.
11. Repeat the process for multiple measurements and calculate the average focal
length.
12. Repeat the process again by changing the value of (D).
Data:

D = 60

S. No. D d D2 –d2 4D f=D2−d2/4D

1 60 24.2 3014.36 240 12.56

2 60 24.1 3019.19 240 12.58

3 60 24.3 3009.51 240 12.54

4 60 24.5 2999.75 240 12.50

5 60 24.6 2994.84 240 12.48

D = 70

S. No. D d D2 –d2 4D f=D2−d2/4D

1 70 36.2 3589.56 280 12.82

2 70 37 3531.00 280 12.61

3 70 36.7 3553.11 280 12.69

4 70 36.8 3545.76 280 12.66

5 70 36.6 3560.44 280 12.72

Data Analysis:
For D=60
The calculated focal lengths are:

 f1=12.56
 f2=12.58
 f3=12.54
 f4=12.50
 f5=12.48

Average focal length:

f= (12.56+12.58+12.54+12.50+12.48)/5 = 12.532 cm

Uncertainty:
The standard deviation is σ=0.037 cm

For D=70

The calculated focal lengths are:

 f1=12.82
 f2=12.61
 f3=12.69
 f4=12.66
 f5=12.72

Average focal length:

f= (12.82+12.61+12.69+12.66+12.72)/5=12.90 cm

 Uncertainty:
The standard deviation is σ=0.212 cm
Results:

1. For D=60
o The average focal length is 12.532±0.037 cm
2. For D=70D = 70D=70:
o The average focal length is 12.90±0.212 cm

Interpretation of Results:

 The focal lengths obtained for D=60 and D=70 are quite close to each other,
indicating that the measurements are consistent.
 The uncertainty for D=70 is larger compared to D=60, suggesting that measurements
for larger distances tend to have greater variability. This is likely due to slight
misalignments of the lens, differences in how the measurements are taken, or other
experimental factors.
 The uncertainties represent the range of possible values for the focal length, with
the values for D=60 being more precise than those for D=70.

These results show that the focal length of the lens is approximately 12.53cm for D=60 and
12.90cm for D=70, with reasonable experimental uncertainty in the measurements.

Conclusion:

The experiment successfully determined the focal length of the lens by varying the distance
between the object and the screen. Using the formula f=D2−d2/4D, where D is the distance
between the object and the screen, and d is the distance from the lens to the sharp image,
we were able to calculate the focal lengths for different object-screen distances.

 For D=60, the average focal length was found to be 12.532±0.037cm.

 For D=70, the average focal length was 12.90±0.212cm.

The results demonstrate that the focal length remains fairly consistent across the two
different distances, though with a slight variation. The larger uncertainty at D=70 may be
attributed to experimental limitations, such as slight misalignment or measurement
inaccuracies.

In conclusion, while the results show reasonable consistency, future experiments could
focus on improving the precision of measurements, especially at larger distances, to reduce
the uncertainty and improve the overall accuracy of the focal length determination.