Table of the Characteristics of Images Obtained from Convex (Converging) Lenses

Characteristics of Images Obtained from Convex (Converging) Lenses

	Image Characteristics
Position of the object	Image Type	Orientation	Image size	Image position
Infinity	Real	Punctual (point)		At F
Greater than 2F	Real	Inverted	Smaller	Between F and 2F
At 2F	Real	Inverted	Same size	At 2F
Between 2F and F	Real	Inverted	Larger	Greater than 2F
At F	No image
Between F and O	Virtual	Upright	Larger	Further than the object

The Object is Located at Infinity.
The Object's Location is Greater Than Twice the Focal Length.
The Object is Located at Twice the Focal Length.
The Object is Located Between Twice the Focal Length and the Focus.
The Object is in Focus (at f).
The Object Is Located Between the Focus and the Optical Centre.

To represent images in convex (or converging) lenses, it is essential to draw at least two of the three principal rays coming from the endpoint of the object. The intersection point of these refracted rays are then be connected perpendicularly to the principal axis to form the image.

The Object is Located at Infinity

Since the object is very far away, only the parallel rays will be considered. The resulting image is a point (the size of a dot) at the principal focal point of a lens. It is a real image.

The Objects Location is Greater Than Twice the Focal Length

The characteristics of the image obtained are as follows: the image is smaller than the object, real (since it can be projected on a screen), inverted (since it is not upright like the object) and located between the focal point and twice the focal length.

The Object Is Located at Twice the Focal Length

The characteristics of the image obtained are as follows: the image is the same size as the object, real (since it can be viewed on a screen), inverted (since it is not upright like the object) and located at the same distance from the lens, at a distance that is twice the focal length.

The Object is Located Between Twice the Focal Length and the Focus

The characteristics of the image obtained are as follows: the image is larger than the object, real (since it can be viewed on a screen), inverted (since it is not upright like the object) and located beyond twice the focal length.

The Object is in Focus (at f)

No image is obtained in this situation, because the refracted rays are parallel and therefore cannot intersect.

The Object Is Located Between the Focus and the Optical Centre

The characteristics of the image obtained are as follows: the image is larger than the object, virtual (since it cannot be projected on a screen), upright (since its orientation is the same as the object) and located further away from the lens than the object.

Images Formed by Converging Lenses