Lens Maker’s Formula: Suppose L is a thin lens. The refractive index of the material of lens is n2 and it is placed in a medium of refractive index n1. The optical centre of lens is C and X ' X is principal axis. The radii of curvature of the surfaces of the lens are R1 and R2 and their poles are P1 and P2. The thickness of lens is t, which is very small. O is a point object on the principal axis of the lens. The distance of O from pole P1 is u. The first refracting surface forms the image of O at I' at a distance v' from P1. From the refraction formula at spherical surface


The image I' acts as a virtual object for second surface and after refraction at second surface, the final image is formed at I. The distance of I from pole P2 of second surface is v. The distance of virtual object(I') from pole P2 is (v' -t). For refraction at second surface, the ray is going from second medium (refractive index n2) to first medium (refractive index n1), therefore from refraction formula at spherical surface

For a thin lens t is negligible as compared to v', therefore from (ii)


where 1n2 = n2/n1 is refractive index of second medium (i.e. medium of lens) with respect to first medium.
If the object O is at infinity, the image will be formed at second focus i.e.
if u = ∞, v = f2 = f
Therefore from equation (iv)

This is the formula of refraction for a thin lens. This formula is called Lens-Maker’s formula. If first medium is air and refractive index of material of lens be n, then 1n2 = n, therefore equation (v) may be written as
