3E3 SCIENCE BLOG

The invention of the magnifying glass

A magnifying glass is a convex lens which is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens is usually mounted in a frame with a handle. The earliest evidence of a magnifying device dates back to 424 BC Aristophanes "lens" is a glass globe filled with water.

The magnification of a magnifying glass on where it is placed between the user's eye and the object being viewed, and the total distance between the bed in terms of their magnifying power is equivalent to angular magnification. The magnifying power is the ratio of the sizes of the images formed on the user's retina with and without the lens. Thus, the closer the magnifying glass to the eye, the larger the image. The magnifying power obtained in this condition is MP₀=¼Φ+1, where Φ is the optical power in dioptres, and the factor of ¼ comes from the assumed distance to the near point.

I feel that this is a marvelous invention as it enables a person to observe a zoomed-in image of the object. Although the microscope has more focused view, it is not portable unlike the magnifying glass.

Tan Chee Yoong (35)
3E3