A magnifying glass is a bi-convex lens. It is convex on both sides, meaning that the glass is curved outward to form a dome. Things look bigger looking through convex lenses. Below, you can see how a magnifying glass works to project an enlarged image on the retina of the eye.

Click on the lens to change the distance between the lens and the picture of a rose.

The virtual image is what you see through the lens. Notice how the virtual image is projected on to the retina of the eye. What happens when you move the lens closer to the picture of the rose? What happens when you move the lens away from the picture?

You can explore the properties of lenses at our Looking Through Lenses activity site and our Convex Lens Interactive Tutorial.

To learn more about the human eye, visit our Human Vision Interactive Tutorial.

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