Final answer:
Using the thin-lens equation, the image distance is found to be -15 cm, indicating a virtual image is formed on the same side of the lens as the object.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the image distance when a 5.00 cm tall candle is placed at a distance of 10.0 cm in front of a converging lens with a focal length of 30.0 cm, we use the thin-lens equation given by:
1/f = 1/do + 1/di
Where:
- f is the focal length of the lens
- do is the object distance
- di is the image distance we want to find
First, we plug in the given values:
1/30.0 cm = 1/10.0 cm + 1/di
Solving for 1/di gives us:
1/di = 1/30 - 1/10
1/di = (1 - 3) / 30
1/di = -1/15
Therefore, di = -15 cm.
The negative sign indicates that the image is virtual and formed on the same side of the lens as the object. In a real classroom setting, the same method can be applied to find the image distance for various object placements in front of a lens.