SPHERICAL LENS Meaning and
Definition
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A spherical lens is a type of optical device that is characterized by its shape, which is similar to that of a sphere. It is typically made of transparent material, such as glass or plastic, and has two curved surfaces that bend or refract light rays. The lens is designed in such a way that the curvature of the surfaces is symmetrical, resembling the shape of a sphere.
The spherical lens is commonly used in various optical applications, including cameras, telescopes, microscopes, and eyeglasses. Its primary function is to focus or diverge light rays to form an image or correct vision problems.
When light passes through a spherical lens, it undergoes refraction, meaning it bends as it moves from one medium (air) to another (the material of the lens) due to the varying density. The bending of light allows the lens to focus or converge parallel light rays to a specific point, producing a clear and magnified image. Alternatively, for divergent lenses, the light rays are spread out and appear to originate from a single point.
The optical properties of a spherical lens are determined by its focal length, which is the distance between the lens and the point where the parallel light rays converge or diverge. In addition, the thickness and radius of the lens' surfaces play a crucial role in determining the behavior of light passing through. By carefully designing the curvature of the surfaces, the lens can be customized to correct specific vision problems, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness.
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• One the curved surfaces of which are segments of spheres, see spherical.
• One the curved surfaces of which are segments of spheres; it may be either convex of concave, the former being called a converging, magnifying, or plus (+) lens, the latter a diverging, reducing, negative, or minus (-) lens; a s. lens refracts the rays of light equally in all meridians.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for SPHERICAL LENS
- apherical lens
- zpherical lens
- xpherical lens
- dpherical lens
- epherical lens
- wpherical lens
- soherical lens
- slherical lens
- s-herical lens
- s0herical lens
- spgerical lens
- spberical lens
- spnerical lens
- spjerical lens
- spuerical lens
- spyerical lens
- sphwrical lens
- sphsrical lens
- sphdrical lens
- sphrrical lens
Etymology of SPHERICAL LENS
The word "spherical" originates from the Late Latin term "sphaericus", which in turn comes from the Greek word "sphairikos". It refers to anything related to a sphere, which is a three-dimensional geometric shape resembling a perfectly round ball. The term "lens" has a different etymology, coming from the Latin word "lentils", meaning "lentil" or "legume", due to the similar shape. Over time, the word "lens" came to be associated with the shape of the glass or other transparent material used in optics to refract light and form images. Therefore, "spherical lens" describes a lens with a spherical shape, where at least one surface of the lens is part of a sphere.
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