negativelenses

Negative lenses, also known as diverging lenses, are optical lenses that are thinner at the center and thicker at the edges. Their primary function is to diverge or spread out light rays that pass through them. This divergence occurs because the lens surfaces are curved outwards, causing parallel rays of light entering the lens to refract away from the optical axis. The focal point of a negative lens is virtual, meaning that light rays appear to originate from this point, but do not actually converge there.

The power of a negative lens is measured in diopters and is always a negative value. A stronger negative lens has a larger absolute value of diopters, indicating a greater degree of divergence. Negative lenses are commonly used in combination with positive lenses to correct refractive errors in the eye, such as myopia (nearsightedness). In eyeglasses and contact lenses, they help to shift the focal point of light further back onto the retina. They are also utilized in optical instruments like telescopes and microscopes, often as part of a larger lens system, to control the path of light and achieve specific magnifications or image formations. The effect of a negative lens on an object is to produce a virtual, upright, and diminished image.