How do magnifying glasses use the principles of light refraction?

Magnifying glasses use the principles of light refraction to bend light rays, creating a larger, magnified image.

A magnifying glass, also known as a simple magnifying lens, is a convex lens that is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens works by refracting, or bending, light rays that pass through it. This refraction occurs because light travels at different speeds in different mediums. When light moves from air (a less dense medium) into glass (a denser medium), it slows down and bends towards the normal line (an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface of the lens). This is known as refraction.

The convex shape of the lens causes the refracted light rays to converge, or come together, at a point known as the focal point. The distance between the lens and the focal point is the focal length. When an object is placed within the focal length of the lens, an enlarged, upright, virtual image is formed on the same side of the lens as the object. This is the magnified image that we see when we look through a magnifying glass.

The degree of magnification depends on the curvature of the lens. The more curved the lens, the shorter the focal length and the greater the magnification. This is because a more curved lens bends light rays more, causing them to converge at a closer focal point and form a larger image.

In summary, a magnifying glass uses the principles of light refraction to bend light rays as they pass through a convex lens, causing them to converge and form a magnified image. The degree of magnification depends on the curvature of the lens.