Relation Between Object And Image Velocity In Lens

Relation Between Object And Image Velocity In Lens

Vishal kumarUpdated on 02 Jul 2025, 06:11 PM IST

The relationship between object and image velocity in lenses is a fundamental concept in optics that describes how the speed of an object's movement affects the speed and position of the resulting image. This dynamic interplay is crucial for understanding how lenses capture and project moving objects, impacting fields such as photography, microscopy, and filmography. When an object moves, the image formed by the lens shifts accordingly, and this relationship can be analyzed through concepts like magnification and lens equations. In real life, this principle is essential for high-speed photography, where precise control over image formation is needed to capture fast-moving subjects clearly. Additionally, it plays a key role in the design of optical instruments and imaging systems, ensuring accurate representation of motion in various applications.

This Story also Contains

  1. Relation between Object and Image Velocity in Lens
  2. Solved Examples Based on Relation Between Object and Image Velocity in Lens
  3. Summary
Relation Between Object And Image Velocity In Lens
Relation Between Object And Image Velocity In Lens

Relation between Object and Image Velocity in Lens

The relation between object and image velocity in lenses describes how the speed at which an object moves affects the speed at which its image shifts through a lens. This relationship is crucial for understanding the dynamics of moving objects in various optical systems. Now we steady cases one by one and understand the concept

Case 1: When the Object is Moving Along the Principal Axis

When an object moves along the principal axis of a lens, the velocity of the image formed by the lens is directly related to the velocity of the object. This scenario is fundamental in optics, particularly for understanding dynamic systems where objects or images are in motion.

As we have learned the following equation

1v1u=1f

After differentiation

1v2dvdt{1u2}dudt=01v2dvdt+1u2dudt=0dvdt=v2u2dudt(viL)x=v2u2(voL)x(viL)x=m2(voL)x

Case 2: When the Object is Moving Perpendicular to the Principal Axis

When an object moves perpendicular to the principal axis of a lens, the relationship between the object's velocity and the image's velocity involves more complex interactions, as the image shifts differently compared to when the object moves along the principal axis.

m=hih0=vuuhi=vho

After differentiation

udhidt=vdh0dtdhidt=vudh0dt(ViL)y=m(VoL)y

Here, m = magnification

v= Position of image
u= Position of object
V= Velocity vectorv = Position of image

u = Position of object

$\vec{V}$ = Velocity vector

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Solved Examples Based on Relation Between Object and Image Velocity in Lens

Example 1: An object is at a distance of 20m from a convex lens of focal length 0.3m. The lens forms an image of the object. If the object moves away from the lens at a speed of 5m/s, the speed and direction of the image will be:

1) 3.22×103 m/s towards the lens
2) 1.16×103 m/s towards the lens
3) 0.92×103 m/s away from the lens
4) 2.26×103 m/s away from the lens

Solution:

From the lens formula

1v=10.3120v=60197
m=vu=6019720

The velocity of image w.r.t. lens
VI=m2Vo
and direction is the same as that of the object
VI=(6019720)25
=1.16×103 m/s towards the lens.

Hence, the answer is the option (2).

Example 2: An object is kept at 40 cm from a concave mirror of a focal length of 20 cm. If the object starts moving along perpendicular to the principle axis with 6 cm/s then the velocity of the image is :

1) 3 cm/s

2) 4 cm/s

3) 6 cm/s

4) 8 cm/s

Solution:

If the object is moving perpendicular to the principal axis

dh2dt=vudh1dt
wherein
dh1dt= velocity of the object perpendicular to the principal axis. dh2dt=velocity of the image perpendicular to the principal axis.

u=40 cm,f=20 cm1v=1f1u=120+140=140v=40 cmdh2dt=uvdh1dt=40406 cm/sdh2dt=6 cm/s

Hence, the answer is the option (3).

Example 3: The velocity of a point is v0=2 cm/s when it is placed at a distance of 30 cm from a lens moving with a speed vlens =2 cm/s towards left. If the focal length of the lens is f=20 cm, find the velocity of the image.

1) 14 cm/s in left direction

2) 14 cm/s in right direction

3) 7 cm/s in left direction

4) 7 cm/s in the right direction

Solution:

The velocity of the image w.r.t. lens along the principal axis is given by

Vimage ,lens =m2Vobject, lens (Vimage Vlens )=(vu)2(Vobject Vlens ) Using: 1v1u=1f1v1(30)=1(+20)v=+60 cmVinver =(+6030)2[(2i^)(2i^)]+(2i^)=14i^ cm/s

Example 4: A point object is moving with a speed v before an arrangement of two mirrors as shown in the figure.

Find the velocity of the image in the mirror M1 with respect to the image in the mirror M2

1) 2vsin(Θ/2)
2) vsin(Θ/2)
3) 2vcos(Θ/2)
4) vcos(Θ/2)

Solution:

The velocity of the image, vr=v2+v22vvcosθ=2vsin(θ/2)

Hence, the answer is the option (1).

Example 5: A mirror with a radius of curvature of 20cm and an object which is placed at a distance of 15cm are both moving with velocities of 1ms-1 and 10ms-1. The velocity of the image in this situation is

1) 40 cm/s

2) 44 cm/s

3) 45 cm/s

4) 30 cm/s

Solution:

Relation between object and image velocity if the object is moving along the principal axis

Vim=v2u2VomVim=ViVmVom=VoVm
wherein
Vo= velocity of light Vi= velocity of the image Vm= velocity of the mirror Vom= velocity of object w.r.t. mirror Vim= velocity of image w.r.t. mirror

f=R2=10 cmu=15 cm1v+1u=1f1v=1f1u or 1v=110 cm+115=3+230v=30 cmvivm=v2u2(v0vm)v0=10i^,vm=1i^vi1i^=(30)2(15)2[(10i^(+i^)]=4(11i^)+44i^vi=45i^

$\therefore$ velocity of the image is 45 cm/s

Hence, the answer is the option (3).

Summary

The relationship between object and image velocity in lenses is crucial for understanding how movement affects image formation. When an object moves along the principal axis of a lens, the image velocity is directly related to the object's velocity, with changes in object distance influencing the image speed and direction. When the object moves perpendicular to the principal axis, the image velocity depends on the magnification and the direction of the object's movement. These principles are vital in practical applications such as photography and microscopy, where accurate motion tracking and image clarity are essential.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How does the image velocity change in a system using optical neural networks?
A:
In a system using optical neural networks, the relationship between object and image velocities could be learned or adapted based on training data. The network could potentially recognize and respond to different types of object motion, producing complex and adaptive relationships between object and image velocities.
Q: How does the image velocity change when an object moves in a system with optical nonreciprocity?
A:
In a system with optical nonreciprocity, light behaves differently when its path is reversed. This can lead to complex relationships between object and image velocities, potentially resulting in asymmetric or direction-dependent image motion effects.
Q: What is the relationship between object and image velocities in a system with optical gain or loss?
A:
In a system with optical gain or loss, the intensity of light changes as it propagates. While this doesn't directly affect the geometric relationship between object and image velocities, it can influence the perceived motion of the image due to changes in brightness or contrast as the object moves.
Q: How does the image velocity change in a system using transformation optics?
A:
In a system using transformation optics, the path of light can be designed to behave in unconventional ways. The relationship between object and image velocities could be engineered to have specific properties, potentially creating illusions of motion or altering perceived velocities in prescribed ways.
Q: What happens to the image velocity when an object moves in a system with optical phase conjugation?
A:
In a system with optical phase conjugation, light can be made to retrace its path exactly. For a moving object, this could lead to interesting effects where the image motion is reversed or nullified, depending on the specific configuration of the phase conjugation system.
Q: How does the image velocity change in a system using metamaterials or negative index materials?
A:
In systems using metamaterials or negative index materials, the conventional rules of optics can be altered. The relationship between object and image velocities may not follow the standard formulas. Depending on the specific properties of the metamaterial, unusual or even reversed velocity relationships might be observed.
Q: What happens to the image velocity when an object moves in front of a lens array or compound eye structure?
A:
In a lens array or compound eye structure, multiple images of the moving object are formed. Each individual lens in the array produces its own image with its own velocity. The overall perceived image velocity depends on how these individual images are processed or combined.
Q: How does the image velocity change when an object moves near the edge of a lens, where aberrations are more pronounced?
A:
Near the edge of a lens, optical aberrations can distort the image formation. This can lead to non-uniform magnification across the image, potentially causing different parts of the image to move at slightly different velocities. The relationship between object and image velocities becomes more complex in these regions.
Q: What is the relationship between object and image velocities in a zoom lens system?
A:
In a zoom lens system, the relationship between object and image velocities is variable and depends on the current zoom setting. As the magnification changes with zooming, so does the ratio of image velocity to object velocity. The relationship remains proportional but with a variable magnification factor.
Q: How does the image velocity change when an object moves in a system with adaptive optics?
A:
In a system with adaptive optics, the image velocity can be actively controlled or modified. While the fundamental relationship between object and image velocities remains, the adaptive system can potentially adjust the effective magnification in real-time, altering the image velocity as needed.