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This lesson covers diverging (concave) lenses as required by the Edexcel GCSE Physics specification (1PH0), Topic 5: Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum. You need to understand how diverging lenses form images, how to draw ray diagrams, and the differences between converging and diverging lenses.
A diverging lens (also called a concave lens) is thinner in the middle than at the edges. It causes parallel rays of light to spread out (diverge) as if they came from a single point behind the lens — the virtual focal point.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Diverging lens | A lens that is thinner in the middle; it spreads parallel rays of light apart |
| Virtual focal point (F) | The point from which the diverging rays appear to come (on the same side as the incoming light) |
| Focal length (f) | The distance from the centre of the lens to the virtual focal point |
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