Which statement correctly describes a concave lens?

Which statement correctly describes a concave lens?

• A. It is thinner in the middle than at the edges, and diverges light.
• B. It is thicker in the middle and converges light.
• C. It is thicker at the edges and diverges light.
• D. It is thinner in the middle and converges light.

Answer: (A)

A concave lens is thinner in the middle than at the edges, and it causes light to diverge. That inward-curving shape bends rays outward as they pass through, so parallel rays spread apart after transmission and appear to come from a virtual focal point on the same side as the lens. This combination—center thinner than edges and light spreading out—is exactly what defines a concave (diverging) lens. The other descriptions switch to converging behavior (thicker in the middle) or mix thickness with the wrong light behavior, which doesn’t match how a concave lens acts.

A concave lens is thinner in the middle than at the edges, and it causes light to diverge. That inward-curving shape bends rays outward as they pass through, so parallel rays spread apart after transmission and appear to come from a virtual focal point on the same side as the lens. This combination—center thinner than edges and light spreading out—is exactly what defines a concave (diverging) lens. The other descriptions switch to converging behavior (thicker in the middle) or mix thickness with the wrong light behavior, which doesn’t match how a concave lens acts.