How does a magnifying glass work?

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A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is meant to be held near an object to see it magnified.When a magnifying glass is held near an object,the light rays are widened before they are focused on our eyes,causing the object to appear very large.In order for this to occur,the distance between the lens and the object must be shorter than the focal length of the lens.

Source:
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-does-a-magnifying-glass-work.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/how-does-a-magnifying-glass-work
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnifying_glass