Final answer:
The size of an image formed by a lens varies depending on the object's location relative to the lens; outside the focal length a real, inverted image is formed, at the focal length light rays are parallel, inside the focal length a virtual, magnified image is formed, and at infinity a minimized image at the focal point is formed. With diverging lenses, the image is always upright, virtual, and smaller.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an object is placed at different locations in front of a lens, the size of the image formed by the lens changes according to the thin lens equation. The five possible locations and their effects on image size are as follows:
- An object placed outside the focal length of a converging lens produces an inverted and real image that can be larger or smaller depending on the object distance relative to the focal length.
- When the object is located at the focal point, no real image is formed; instead, the light rays are parallel after passing through the lens, suggesting an image formed at infinity.
- For an object placed inside the focal length of a converging lens, the image will be upright, virtual, and magnified.
- If the object is very far away, at practical infinity, the image is minimized and located at the focal length of the lens, appearing upright if using a diverging lens and inverted if using a converging lens.
- For a diverging lens, no matter where the object is located, the image is always upright, virtual, and reduced in size compared to the object.
Understanding the relationship between object distance (do), image distance (di), and the focal length (f) is crucial for determining the specific image characteristics using the thin lens formula: 1/do + 1/di = 1/f.