A lens is an optical device used to alter the path of light in various optical applications. Lenses alter the path of light through refraction, which is phenomenon whereby the path of a ray of right shifts when it through materials with different density levels. Lenses are made from transparent materials, such as plastic or glass, which have been molded to give the required shape. A lens can be termed as either simple lens made from a single material, or a compound lens, which consists of an assembly of multiple lenses aligned along a common axis. Lenses are used to concentraterays of light to or away from a focal point on its axis. This is a paper on the discovery and application of lenses.
Discovery
The first lens to be used in recorded history was the Nimrud lens that was in use 2700 years ago in the Kingdom of Assyria (Light Works, n.d). It’s not clear what its specific application was, but it’s thought to have been used as either magnifying glass or a burning-glass that concentrated rays of light onto a point to start a fire. Also, lenses were used in Ancient Greece, evidence of which can be found in a 424BC play by Aristophanes which mentions the use of biconcave lens to light a fire(Light Works, n.d).
Application
In the modern world, lenses have numerous applications. The most common use of lenses is in sight correction for short sighted and long sighted people. The lenses are used to concentrate the light on the eyes’ focal point in case the eyes natural lens is unable to do so. Other applications of lenses include magnification of distant objects in binoculars and telescopes, image capturing in camera lenses, and concentration of light in photo thermal applications.
Lenses are important optical devices. Since their discovery, lenses have been used to make life more comfortable for man. Early application of lenses included lighting of fires and magnification. Today lenses are used to correct vision for people with impaired vision. Also, lenses are applied in technological gadgets such as cameras, telescopes, and binoculars.
Reference
Light Works. (n.d.). Ancient Lenses: Optical Lenses. Retrieved from http://www.ancient- wisdom.com/optics.htm
