Air Bubble in Water: Converging or Diverging Lens?

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    Air Bubble Water
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the optical properties of an air bubble in water, specifically whether it behaves as a converging or diverging lens. Participants explore the implications of the bubble's spherical shape and the resulting focal lengths, as well as the behavior of light as it interacts with the bubble's surfaces.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that the air bubble can be modeled as two plano-convex lenses with equal but opposite focal lengths, leading to an effective focal length of zero, implying it behaves like a glass slab.
  • Another participant challenges this view, asserting that both halves of the bubble are convergent or divergent, thus having the same sign for their powers, and that a glass ball in air does not behave like a glass slab.
  • There is a question raised about whether light entering the bubble will exit at the same angle it entered, indicating uncertainty about the behavior of light at the bubble's edges.
  • A later reply questions the assumption that both halves can have the same focal length, emphasizing that their focal points would be in different directions and suggesting that if both are convergent, the image formed would be outside the bubble.
  • Participants express a desire for a diagram to illustrate the concepts being discussed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach consensus on whether the air bubble acts as a converging or diverging lens, with multiple competing views presented regarding the nature of the focal lengths and the behavior of light.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference conventions for focal lengths and the behavior of light at interfaces, but there are unresolved assumptions regarding the definitions and implications of these conventions in the context of the air bubble.

rktpro
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I was tackling a problem that came to my mind whether air bubble placed in water is converging or diverging lens.
What I have concluded is that since bubble is sphere, we can assume it to be made of two similar plano convex lens. Now both of them will have same focal length but applying convention states that one would be positive and other would be negative. Thus the effective focal length would be zero and hence it wouldn't act like a lens but a glass slab.
What do you say?
 
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Light will be deflected as it enters the bubble, will it necessarily contact the other edge of the sphere at the same angle as it contacted the first edge?
 
rktpro said:
Now both of them will have same focal length but applying convention states that one would be positive and other would be negative. Thus the effective focal length would be zero and hence it wouldn't act like a lens but a glass slab.
What do you say?
This is not true. The two halves are both convergent (or divergent) so their powers have the same sign. A glass ball in air does not behave like a glass slab.
To find out the character of the air bubble (or half bubble) lens you just need to trace one or two rays.
 
JHamm said:
Light will be deflected as it enters the bubble, will it necessarily contact the other edge of the sphere at the same angle as it contacted the first edge?

Probably not.
 
nasu said:
This is not true. The two halves are both convergent (or divergent) so their powers have the same sign. A glass ball in air does not behave like a glass slab.
To find out the character of the air bubble (or half bubble) lens you just need to trace one or two rays.
How can both be of same focal length. If we apply convention, one would be positive and one negative. Because the focal points would be in two different directions.
If they are both convergent, it would mean that the image formed would be outside the bubble?


Please illustrate with a diagram, if possible.
 

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