What is Magnification: Definition and 181 Discussions

Magnification is the process of enlarging the apparent size, not physical size, of something. This enlargement is quantified by a calculated number also called "magnification". When this number is less than one, it refers to a reduction in size, sometimes called minification or de-magnification.
Typically, magnification is related to scaling up visuals or images to be able to see more detail, increasing resolution, using microscope, printing techniques, or digital processing. In all cases, the magnification of the image does not change the perspective of the image.

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  1. amind

    Magnification of a fish in a spherical bowl due to water

    Homework Statement A goldfish in a spherical fish bowl of radius R is at the level of the center of the bowl and at distance R/2 from the glass. What magnification of the fish is produced by the water of the bowl for a viewer looking along a line that includes the fish and the center, from the...
  2. P

    How is the focal length of an objective calculated?

    Hi, I am using an objective lens to illuminate my object by a collimated beam. The magnification and NA is available on the objective. How can I calculate the focal length from this information? The objective is not infinity corrected. Thank you
  3. L

    Geometric Optics - Magnification

    Homework Statement A concave mirror forms an image on a screen twice as large as an object. Both object and mirror are then moved such that the new image is 3x the size of the object. If the screen is moved 75cm, how far did the object move? Homework Equations m = image distance / object...
  4. Choisai

    Microscope magnification with camera

    I have two lenses for my microscope. The object lens which magnifies 63 X. Then there is my eyepiece lens with f=100 mm which focuses the incoming light at an camera. How can I calculate the total magnification? All calculations so far for the eyepiece involve the 25 cm of the human eye, but now...
  5. T

    Angular Magnification for a Microscope

    Homework Statement The eyepiece of a compound microscope has a focal length of 2.50 cm and the objective has a focal length of 1.8 cm. The two lenses are separated by 22 cm. The microscope is used by a person with normal eyes (near point at 25 cm). What is the angular magnification of the...
  6. C

    MHB What is the percent magnification of the microscope?

    A virus 3.0 X 10^-5 cm long appears to be 1.2cm long through a microscope. What is the percent magnification of the microscope? Answer is 4000000. How did u get this answer?
  7. J

    Calculating Magnification with lens, an object, and a screen.

    Homework Statement A lens with focal length fo = 9 cm forms an image of an object placed a distance d=3.7fo to the left of the lens, onto a screen to the right of the lens. The distance L from object to image is fixed. The lens is now moved toward the screen a distance x until an image is...
  8. B

    Angular Magnification of a telescope,

    Homework Statement A telescope consists of a mirror with radius of curvature 14.0 m and an eyepiece of focal length 19.0 cm. Approximately what is the value of its angular magnification I haven't yet been asked to find angular magnification given such little detail, my cyber-school program...
  9. U

    Diffraction grating, magnification

    Homework Statement Part (a):Sketch zeroth and first order rays. Find the angle of first order rays make to normal. Part (b): Sketch intensity distribution at 7.5mm and 10mm. Part (c): Explain how this is useful in understanding a microscope. Homework Equations The Attempt at...
  10. DHF

    Most magnification for my money

    Hello folks. The last time I owned a telescope was about 30 years ago in New York. My dad and I used it to look at the moon, mainly because that was all we could see in the city ;) My son has taken an interest in astronomy and seeing as how we currently live a few hours away from a dark sky...
  11. G

    How to Calculate Image Position and Magnification for a Camera Lens?

    Homework Statement A camera lens has focal length 55mm and an object is 500mm away. Calculate the position of the image and the magnification (or reduction) Homework Equations 1/u + 1/v = 1/f u = Object Distance v = Image Distance f = focal length m = magnification The...
  12. 4

    Angular magnification of flat and concave mirrors

    Homework Statement (a) I hold a flat mirror 22.4 cm in front of my face. There is a freckle on my face 1 mm in diameter. Find the angular size of the freckle on the image of my face as viewed by my eye. (b) Repeat for a concave mirror which has a focal length of 39 cm. (c) What is the...
  13. M

    Find magnification of a fish in a fish bowl

    Homework Statement A goldfish in a spherical fish bowl of radius R is at the level of the center of the bowl and at distance R/2 from the glass. What magnification of the fish is produced by the water of the bowl for a viewer looking along a line that includes the fish and the center, from...
  14. V

    Placement of an object and magnification

    Homework Statement An object is 1 m from a screen. At what points may a 0.05-m focal length lens be placed so as to produce a sharp image on the screen? What are the corresponding magnifications? Homework Equations Lens maker equation: 1/s + 1/s' = 1/f Magnification equation...
  15. R

    Understanding Fixed Magnification: Exploring the Role of Single Lenses

    My question is simple but i can't seem to find a straight answer. Can a single lens, a biconvex lens let's say, have a fixed magnification.I know that magnification is a factor of focal length, and object distance so the answer should be no. However, i often come across examples of simple lenses...
  16. A

    Total Magnification of Two Converging Lenses

    Homework Statement Two identical converging lenses have focal lengths of 15 cm and are aligned on the same principal axis. They are separated by a distance of 120 cm. An object sits a distance of 21 cm to the left of the left lens. What is the total magnification of the two lenses...
  17. DennisN

    Hydrogen Atoms under Magnification (paper)

    (PF members Salman2 and ftr have already mentioned this in two threads, but I think it deserves it's own thread :smile:) Hydrogen Atoms under Magnification: Direct Observation of the Nodal Structure of Stark States Abstract: To describe the microscopic properties of matter, quantum...
  18. C

    Angular magnification of an out-of-focus eyepiece

    I'm trying to simulate light rays going through an eyepiece to characterize its magnification in function of the distance from the optical axis (image distortion). Attached is a figure showing the simulation console. Some lenses in the eyepiece are movable to correct for myopia/hypermetropia...
  19. R

    What is the focal length of the lens? given magnification and distance

    Homework Statement A biology student wishes to examine a bug at a magnificaiton of +5.00 by looking through a single lens. the student wants the image of the bug to be a distance of 25cm from the lens. what is the focal length of the lens? Answer:+6.25cm Homework Equations...
  20. A

    MATLAB Error Message while trying to Plot Magnification Factor

    Homework Statement I am trying to make a plot of the magnification factor of an underdamped vibrating system versus the frequency ratio using MATLAB. However, my MATLAB skills are very basic and I keep getting an error message. Basically I am trying to plot: MF=1/√((1-r^2)^2+(2ζr)^2)...
  21. P

    Location and Magnification of Coin's Final Image

    Homework Statement A converging lens of focal length 8.100 cm is 20.3 cm to the left of a diverging lens of focal length 6.63 cm. A coin is placed 12.4 cm to the left of the convering lens. Is the location of the coins final image to the left of the convering lens, between the lenses, or to...
  22. R

    Archived Angular magnification and the magnifying glass

    Homework Statement An engraver uses a magnifying glass (f=9.5 cm) to examine some work. The image he sees is located 25 cm from his eye, which is his near point. A) what is the distance between the work and the magnifying glass? b) what is the angular magnification of the magnifying glass...
  23. Saxby

    Magnification equation problem

    Homework Statement When an object is closer to a concave mirror than the mirror's focal point the... (a) Magnification is more than 1 (b) Magnification is less than 1 Homework Equations M = -Si/S 1 / f = (1 / S) + (1 / Si) M = Magnification S = Distance between object and mirror Si = Distance...
  24. F

    Optics, calculating image distance,.given magnification and focal length

    Homework Statement The image obtained with a converging lens is upright and 3x the length of the object. The focal length of the lens is 20cm. Calculate the object and image distances Homework Equations I have absolutely no idea how to even start this question The Attempt at a...
  25. M

    Archived Optics - magnification of a converging lens

    Optics -- magnification of a converging lens Homework Statement Dioptry of converging lens is $D=3$. What is magnification ##u##? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution ##\frac{1}{f}=D## - dioptry. \frac{1}{f}=\frac{1}{p}+\frac{1}{l} u=\frac{l}{p} l=up...
  26. R

    Why is magnification only defined for small angles?

    We're learning about magnification and they say how magnification is the ratio of the visual angle while looking through the instrument to that with the naked eye and then they say, For small angles, magnification is defined as, m= height of the image/height of the object Why only for...
  27. W

    Angular magnification, given F and di

    A Jeweler, whose near point is 40.0cm from his eye, is using a magnifying glass to examine a gold ring. The lens of the magnifying glass has a focal length of 5.00cm ( part C) Determine the angular magnification of the magnifying glass when the virtual image of the ring is located 165 cm from...
  28. J

    Astronomical telescope: derivation - greatest magnification (detail) formula

    Homework Statement I am seeking a derivation of the formula for greatest detail or maximum resolution of an astronomical telescope, which is: Homework Equations M = fo/foe where: M: magnification fo: focal length of objective lens foe: distance of primary image from the eyepiece...
  29. N

    Laboratory work, magnification

    I am working with interference which pattern I want to magnify to a CCD. The question is how can I determine the magnification of the interference pattern to the CCD? An aperture lens is used. I know the CCD cell size. It is not enough to say that the lens is 100x .. then the magnification...
  30. H

    Optics - Angular Magnification

    Homework Statement The eyepiece of a compound microscope has a focal length of 2.50 cm and the objective has a focal length of 1.5 cm. The two lenses are separated by 17 cm. The microscope is used by a person with normal eyes (near point at 25 cm). What is the angular magnification of the...
  31. F

    Magnification of an Image formed by a converging lens

    Homework Statement A converging lens with a focal length of 14.2 cm is used to inspect a coin. The lens forms a virtual image 30.1 cm away. What is the magnification? Homework Equations (1/Si) + (1/So) = (1/f) M = (hi/ho) = (-Si/So) The Attempt at a Solution 1/So = 1/f - 1/Si...
  32. A

    Lenses - magnification, position, focal length help

    Lenses - magnification, position, focal length help! ok so here is the quesiton.. An object is loacted 3.5 cm from the optical centre of a lens. The lense produces an image of magnification that is +0.667 the size of the object a) is this lens a diverging or converging lens? explain b)...
  33. C

    Optics, Telescope magnification, missing data?

    Homework Statement From Optics by Frances Sears, 1949, Chapter 6, Problem 11: (I've been working all the problems in the book on my own.) A crude telescope is constructed of to spectacle lenses of focal lengths 100cm and 20cm respectively. (a) Find its angular magnification. (b) Find the...
  34. 3

    Derivation for magnification equation for convex mirrors

    Hello everyone, I really run into a problem here. The magnification equation for mirrors describes such a relation: M=-distance of image/distance of object = height of image/height of object. (M=(-i/o)=h'/h). I understand how this formula can be proved using a ray diagram for concave...
  35. J

    Maximum Magnification of Microscope

    Homework Statement You are building a compound microscope with an objective lens of focal length 0.70 cm and an eyepiece lens of focal length 5.0 cm. You mount the lenses 18 cm apart. What is the maximum magnification of your microscope? Homework Equations...
  36. L

    Finding Object Distance for Upright Image with Magnification +1.51 for Concave Mirror

    Homework Statement Suppose the radius of curvature of a concave mirror is 5.0 cm a) Find the object distance that gives an upright image with a magnification of +1.51. Homework Equations 1/Do + 1/Di= 1/f m=-di/do=hi/ho The Attempt at a Solution First i convered all cm...
  37. D

    Need help with later magnification and location

    Need help with later magnification and location! Two lenses, with = +20.0 and = +30.0 , are placed on the axis, as shown in the figure. An object is fixed 50.0 to the left of lens 1, and lens 2 is a variable distance to the right of lens 1. Part A Find the lateral location of the...
  38. Y

    Find the total magnification for a system of 2 converging lenses

    Homework Statement There are two converging lenses. The object of the first lens (i.e. the lens on the left) is 17.5 cm to the left of the first lens, and the resulting image from the first lens is 23.33 cm to the right of the first lens. The second lens is 40 cm to the right of the first...
  39. R

    Magnification of 1/4: Invert and Enlarge Image? True or False

    If lens has a magnification of 1/4, produces images 4x larger but inverted. True or False.
  40. J

    Finding magnification, object distance from the mirror, and radius of curvature

    Homework Statement You placed a 10cm high object in front of a mirror and got 5cm high virtual image at (-30cm). (Hint: watch the sign convention) a. Find the magnification b. Find the object distance from the mirror c. Find the radius of curvature of the mirror then I have to know if...
  41. Jadaav

    What's the difference between linear magnification and magnification ?

    What's the difference between linear magnification and magnification ? What is linear magnification eventually ? I had this on an assessment and got it wrong. So I want to know about it.
  42. N

    What physical aspect of a converging lens affects magnification

    Probably a complete newb question and I know magnification is dependent on how severely the light is bent but what physical aspects cause the light to bend more/less? I was told it's the thickness so do thin or thick lenses bend light more severely? and which would result in greater...
  43. G

    Calculating Angular Magnification of a Lens Without Knowing Object Height

    Homework Statement A small insect is placed 6.55 cm from a 7.00 cm-focal-length lens. Calculate the position of the image. Calculate the angular magnification. Homework Equations 1/f=1/do+1/di M=angular magnification=θ'/θ=angle of image/angle of object=N/f where N=near point The...
  44. M

    Stargazing Why is magnification defined as the ratio of eye and objective lens resolution?

    The telescope magnification is given by the measure of the resolution power of the eye divided by the resolution power of the objetive lens. I just want to know why a magnification can be defined as the ratio of these two kinds of resolution, I need a...
  45. H

    1/4 wave resonantor equiv to a series LC circuit and voltage magnification?

    I recently read that a 1/4 wave resonator is equivalent to a series lc circuit but with a much higher q. In a typical resonant LC series circuit voltage magnifications exists, does the same thing occur in a 1/4 resonator since it is equivalent to a series LC circuit? Thanks in advance!
  46. Y

    Question about height of image and magnification

    Homework Statement so if the original object is 4.6 cm tall located at x = 0 and it's a concave mirror distance from C to the object is 16 cm and Radius of the mirror is 12 cm The Attempt at a Solution to find the position of x image i got 9.6 cm then for magnification i...
  47. T

    Magnifying power v/s magnification

    Why is it that we prefer to use magnifying power instead of magnification for optical instruments like microscopes and telescopes?
  48. C

    Distance Between Lenses for a Magnification of 10

    Homework Statement A convex lens and a concave lens both of 6cm focal length are placed to give an object which is 5cm from the convex lens of magnification of 10. How far are the lenses apart? Homework Equations 1/f = 1/u + 1/v Magnification=v/u The Attempt at a Solution Lens...
  49. AXidenT

    Astronomical Lens Telescope Problem - Angular Magnification

    Homework Statement A convex lens forms an image 8.96 mm on a screen. Keeping the screenand the object fixed, the lens is moved through a distance of 15.4 cm and a sharp image of the object is again observed on the screen. If the length of the second image is 3.54 cm, calculate the focal length...
  50. A

    How Is Magnification Calculated with Two Thin Lenses?

    Homework Statement A light source placed in the focus of a (thin) lens with a focal length of 50mm. A second (thin) lens (with focal length = 400mm) was placed 600mm after the focal point of the first one, an image of the light source was captured at the seonds lens focal point. How...
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