Convex vs. Concave Lens: What Is the Difference Between Convex and Concave Lens?

Do you know the difference between concave and convex lenses? How they work? The different shapes of these lenses and how they are used are discussed in this article.
Convex vs. Concave Lens: 7 Key Differences, Pros & Cons, Examples

Convex vs. Concave Lens: The lens allows us to see things, different colors, and distinguish between different objects. Our eyes have a crystalline lens through which we see the whole world. Lenses have different curves and shapes. Lenses are divided into two types on the basis of shapes: convex and concave lenses. Sometimes both lenses are combined together to give a clearer image. But in concave vs. Convex lens, the concave lens disperse the light rays while the convex lens merges the light rays at a particular point.

Let’s take a closer look at Convex versus Concave Lenses

CurveThe curve of the concave lens is outward while the convex is inward
Focal LengthThe focal length of concave else is positive while convex is negative
Usagethe concave lens is used for short-sightedness while convex is for long-sightedness
MaterialBoth lens convex and concave are mostly made up of glass.

What are Convex Lens?

What are Convex Lens? A convex lens is a lens that has thin edges but is thicker at the center. This lens can convert the light rays into beams. A convex lens can make both virtual and real images depending upon the position of the object. The convex lens is also used to start a fire with the rays of the sun, and most children have tried this after studying physics. This lens is used for hypermetropia. There are many other uses of the lens as well, like making optical instruments, microscopes, etc.

A convex lens is a lens that has thin edges but is thicker at the center. This lens can convert the light rays into beams. A convex lens can make both virtual and real images depending upon the position of the object. The convex lens is also used to start a fire with the rays of the sun, and most children have tried this after studying physics. This lens is used for hypermetropia. There are many other uses of the lens as well, like making optical instruments, microscopes, etc.

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What are Concave Lens?

What are Concave Lens? A concave lens is the type of lens that is thinner from the center but has thicker edges. This lens has the ability to spread the light rays, also known as a diverging lens. The image formed by the concave lens is always smaller than the object. The image is also virtual and upright. The size of the image also depends upon the distance of the object from the lens. Concave lenses are used in telescopes, side mirrors, movie projectors, etc.

A concave lens is the type of lens that is thinner from the center but has thicker edges. This lens has the ability to spread the light rays, also known as a diverging lens. The image formed by the concave lens is always smaller than the object. The image is also virtual and upright. The size of the image also depends upon the distance of the object from the lens. Concave lenses are used in telescopes, side mirrors, movie projectors, etc.

7 Key Differences Between Convex and Concave Lens

ComponentsConvexConcave
DescriptionThe convex lens makes the objects look larger and bigger due to the thicker center.The concave lens makes the object smaller and shorter due to the thinner center.
StructureA convex lens is thicker at the center and thinner at the edgesA concave lens is thinner at the center while thicker at the edges
Light RaysThe convex lens bends the light rays toward each otherConcave lens spreads the light rays and cannot form an image on the screen
Focal LengthA convex lens has a positive focal length and is also known as a positive lens.A concave lens has a negative focal length and is also known as a negative lens.
Image FormationAn only virtual image can be formed through a convex lens due to the bending of light rays.The concave lens forms both virtual and real images due to the spreading of the parallel rays.
Parallel RaysConvex lens converge the parallel rays and also called converging lensConcave lens diverges the parallel rays and is also called the diverging lens
UsageA convex lens is used to correct the hypermetropia or long-sightednessA concave lens is used to correct myopia or short-sightedness

Convex Lens Examples

A few examples of the convex lens are the human eye, eyeglasses, microscope, projectors, cameras, telescope, projectors.

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Concave Lens Examples

There are a few examples of concave lenses: binoculars, telescopes, eyeglasses to correct short-sightedness, flashlight, and laser-like CD and DVD player.

Convex vs. Concave Lens Similarities

  • Both the convex and concave lenses are made up of glass or transparent material.
  • Both lenses have at least one curved surface.
  • Both lenses, convex and concave, have a smooth surface.

Convex vs. Concave Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons of a Convex Lens

Pros and Cons of a Convex Lens

Pros of a Convex Lens

  •  A convex lens is used to magnify the objects, as it can make the object look bigger and larger.
  • Convex lenses are also used in cameras to focus the image, but moving the lens, the magnification of the image can be changed.
  • Peepholes are small holes on the house’s front door for security purposes. These peepholes also have a convex lens to clearly see who is outside.
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Cons of a Convex Lens

  • Convex lenses, when used in binoculars and telescopes for magnifying, do not transfer light accurately and can cause distortion and blur.
  • The convex lens in the camera refracts the light of different colors and creates the fringe effect on the bright objects present in the picture.

Pros and cons of a Concave Lens

Pros and cons of a Concave Lens

Pros of a Concave Lens

  • The concave lens used in the flashlight can increase the light source’s radius and give w wider beam
  • Photographers used concave lenses with convex lenses in their cameras to improve the quality of the images.

Cons of a Concave Lens

  • The concave lens can make the objects look smaller and shorter due to the thinner center.
  • A Concave lens forms both inverted and real images; depending upon the object’s position, it can form either a magnified or diminished image.

Comparison Chart

Do you know the difference between concave and convex lenses? How they work? The different shapes of these lenses and how they are used are discussed in this article.

Comparison Video

Concave Convex lenses

FAQs

Is a Converging Lens Concave or Convex?

A convex lens is a converging lens as this lens converges the rays at one point.

What Are Convex Lenses Used For?

A convex lens is used in eyeglasses to correct far-sightedness. It is also used in cameras, microscopes, and magnifying glasses.

Which Lens Is Used in the Telescope?

Telescope used a convex glass lens to bend the light and increase focus.

What Is the Difference Between Concave and Convex Mirrors?

A concave mirror is a spherical mirror with an inward curve, while a convex mirror is a spherical mirror with an outward curve.

Conclusion

Concave and convex lenses are used for clear and sharper images. Sometimes, both of these lenses are used together to get better results and are called concave-convex lenses. Both lenses are also used in many experiments, eyeglasses, telescopes, and many other things—the main difference between the convex and concave lens is due to their shape. A convex lens has a wider center and is curved inward. At the same time, the concave lens has a thinner center and is curved outward.

Alex Stantor
Alex Stantor

Alex Stantor is a Sorbonne University (Paris, France) graduate in Philosophy and Data Analysis. Currently, he is an Author and Researcher at Difference 101, he writes articles/blog posts on topics such as "thinking differently" and "the importance of difference". Alex is a passionate advocate of diversity in the workplace and in companies, and diversity and inclusion in corporate communications. He currently lives in Brooklyn.

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