Which statement describes the image produced by a concave lens?

Which statement describes the image produced by a concave lens?

• A. Appears to come from behind the lens
• B. Can be projected onto a screen
• C. Appears upside down
• D. Is always real

Answer: (A)

When light goes through a concave (diverging) lens, the rays spread apart rather than meet. The image formed in this case is virtual, meaning it doesn’t project onto a screen. If you extend the diverging rays backward, they appear to intersect at a point on the opposite side of the lens, so the image seems to come from behind the lens. That’s why the statement describing the image as appearing to come from behind the lens is the best choice. Because the image is virtual and formed by divergence, it cannot be projected onto a screen. It is typically upright and smaller than the object, not inverted, and it is not always real.

When light goes through a concave (diverging) lens, the rays spread apart rather than meet. The image formed in this case is virtual, meaning it doesn’t project onto a screen. If you extend the diverging rays backward, they appear to intersect at a point on the opposite side of the lens, so the image seems to come from behind the lens. That’s why the statement describing the image as appearing to come from behind the lens is the best choice.

Because the image is virtual and formed by divergence, it cannot be projected onto a screen. It is typically upright and smaller than the object, not inverted, and it is not always real.