Lens Ray Tracer
Explore how convex and concave lenses form images.
Geometric Optics
This simulation uses ray tracing to show how light behaves. We treat light as rays traveling in straight lines. When these rays pass through a lens, their path changes according to simple rules. The point where the rays converge (or appear to converge from) is where the image is formed.
What to look for
- With a convex lens, a candle beyond the focal point makes a real, upside-down image; closer than the focal point, the image is virtual and upright.
- A concave lens always makes a smaller, upright, virtual image.