369 Tesla - Power of a Lens

Interactive Physics Simulation by Kalviyogi Nagarajan

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369 Tesla - What is Power of a Lens?

Power of a lens is a measure of how strongly it can converge or diverge light rays passing through it.

A lens with a shorter focal length bends light more, giving it a higher power.

The power (P) of a lens is defined as the reciprocal of its focal length (f) in meters:

P = 1/f

The SI unit of power is dioptre (D), where 1 D = 1 m-1

  • Convex lens (converging): Positive power (+)
  • Concave lens (diverging): Negative power (-)