Magnification

Magnification

The magnification of a lens is a ratio of the size of the image it produces compared to the size of the object.
- Magnification is a unitless quantity.
- A magnification greater than 1 means the image will be larger than the object. A magnification of less than 1 means it will be smaller.
Magnification can be calculated from a ray diagram using the formula \(\text{magnification}=\text{image height}\div\text{object height}\).
Convex lenses can produce magnified images when the object is placed between the lens and its focal point.
Magnified images can be real and inverted (e.g. when object is beyond the focal point) or virtual and upright (e.g. within the focal length).

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