Optical Engineering July 2021

Assignment 2
Optical Engineering

Sign Convention
• Light travels from left to right toward the lens.

• Object distance u is positive for real objects located to the left of the lens and negative for
virtual objects located to the right of the lens.

• Image distance v is positive for real images formed to the right of the lens and negative for
virtual images formed to the left of the lens.

• The focal length f is positive for a converging lens, negative for a diverging lens, when light
travels from left to right.

• The radius of curvature R is positive for a convex surface, negative for a concave surface.

• Transverse distances or heights are positive above the optical axis, negative below.

• Ray angles are positive if the ray direction is obtained by rotating the +z axis counter-
clockwise through an acute angle.

Problems
1. A toy car is placed 50 cm in front of a thin negative lens. An image is formed 25 cm in front
of the lens. The focal length of the lens is cm.
(a) 16.66
(b) -16.66
(c) -50
(d) -25
Optical Engineering July 2021

Solution:
Ans: c
Here u = 50 cm and v = −25 cm
1 1 1
+ =
u v f
⇒ f = −50 cm

Based on the following data answer Questions 2-3

A 1.50 m tall person is standing at a distance of 2 m in front of a camera. The camera uses
a converging lens of focal length f = 0.06 m.

2. The distance between lens and film is cm.

Solution:
Ans: b
Given object height, ho =1.5 m, u=2 m, f =0.06 m. The film has to be placed where the
image forms.
Applying the thin lens equation,

1 1 1
+ =
u v f
1 1 1
= −
v 0.06 2
∴ v = 6.18 cm

3. The height of the image is cm.

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Solution:
Ans: d
Magnification of the system
−v
M=
u
−0.0618
=
2
= −0.0309

Negative M implies image is inverted. Object is beyond f distance for the converging lens
implies image is real. So the image is real and inverted.

The height of the image, hi = M ho = −0.0309 × 1.5 = −0.0463 m.

∴ hi = −4.63 cm
Here negative sign says the image is inverted.

4. A farsighted person has a near point at 100cm. Representing eye as a simple lens located 2cm
from the retina, what is the strength of lens he must wear to read a newspaper comfortably
at 40 cm? Assume that if the object is imaged at the near point, then it can be seen clearly.
(a) 1.5 Dioptre
(b) -1.5 Dioptre
(c) 3 Dioptre
(d) -3 Dioptre

Solution:
Ans a
Image is to be always focused on retina. ∴ v = 2 cm.
Nearest distance eye can image is 100 cm = u
∴ eye lens has focal length fe ,

1 1 1
+ =
u v fe
1 1 1
= +
fe 100 2
1
= 0.51 cm−1
fe

Focal length needed for the object at 40 cm to image at 2 cm, fe0

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1 1 1
0
= +
fe 40 2
1
= 0.525 cm−1
fe0

Let the lens has to have a focal length, fL . Then

1 1 1
0
= +
fe fL fe
1 1 1
= 0−
fL fe fe
= 0.525 − 0.51
= 0.015 cm−1
= 1.5 m−1

Therefore the power required for the lens is 1/fL =1.5 Dioptre

Based on the following data answer Questions 5-6

A 5 cm tall object is placed 25 cm from a concave mirror. The radius of curvature of the
mirror is 40 cm.

5. The image will form at cm away from the mirror.

Solution:
Ans: 100

R −40
f =− =− = 20 cm
2 2
1 1 1
+ =
u v f
1 1 1 1
= − =
v 20 25 100
v = 100 cm

6. The height of the image is cm.

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Solution:
Magnification, M = −v/u = −100/25 = −4
So the image is Real and Inverted.
The height of the image is -4× 5 = -20 cm

7. You have a candle, a thin positive lens of focal length 10 cm and a white screen. The shortest
distance between the candle and the screen such that, using the lens, a real image is projected
on the screen is cm.
Numerical answer range: 38-42

Solution:
Ans: 40
Given positive (convex) lens of f =10 cm.
We need to minimize u + v. The thin lens formula is

1 1 1
+ =
u v f
1 1 1 u−f
= − =
v f u uf
uf
v=
u−f
d
To minimize (u + v), (u + v) = 0
du
d uf
(u + )=0
du u−f
(u − f )f − uf
1+ =0
(u − f )2
uf − f 2 − uf
= −1
(u − f )2
−f 2 = −u2 + 2uf −f 2
⇒ u = 2f

2f (f )
∴v= = 2f
2f − f
So the minimum distance between candle and screen = 2f +2f = 4f = 40 cm

Based on the following OSLO design, answer the question 8 to 10

Design a glass slab (with glass BK7) of thickness 10 mm. Set the beam radius to 5mm and
field angle to 450 .

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0
8. Angle of refraction (θr ) in the glass surface is .

(a) 14.6134
(b) 27.7868
(c) 21.5942
(d) 33.3421
[Answer : b]

Solution: In OSLO, create a glass slab of thickness 10mm. Use glass material BK7 by
typing “BK7” in GLASS section of the spreadsheet. Then, Click on the evaluate button
in the main menu bar and select ‘single ray trace’. This opens a new window. Click on the
check box ‘full’ under Output format control and check box ‘all’ under Surface selection
option. Now click Set Object Point. This opens a new spreadsheet over the surface data
spreadsheet. Change FBY to 1 and click the green check to close this spreadsheet. Now
click on OK in the Trace single ray window.
Here, the value of YANG/IANG for surface 2 gives the angle of refraction as 27.78680 .

9. What is the value of refractive index of BK7 glass, based on your answer to Q8?
(a) 1.5143
(b) 1.5223
(c) 1.4979
(d) 1.5168
[Answer: d]

Solution: Refractive index is

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10. If the glass type is changed to BK8, what is the new angle of refraction (θr ), in degrees?
(a) 14.6134
(b) 27.7868
(c) 27.7202
(d) 14.5805
[Answer : c]

Solution:

θr = 27.7202◦

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