Spherical Aberration Setup

 

Code Number: 6A65.40

Demo Title: Spherical Aberration

Condition: Good

Principle: Spherical and Chromatic Aberration

Area of Study: Optics

Equipment:

Optics Table, 30 cm Focal Length Lens, 48 cm Focal Length Lens, Slide Projector (Distant Light), and Cardboard Stops.

Procedure:

Spherical Aberration - Use the slide projector as a distant collimated light source.  Place the 30 or 48 cm lens in the optics rail and focus onto the paper screen.  By stopping out the middle or the edge of the lens you can show that the focal point is different for the inner and outer portions of the lens.

References:

  • Mark Riegel and Brian Holmes, "Model of Astigmatism", TPT, Vol. 26, #2, Feb. 1988, p. 96.
  • Walter D. Furlan, L. Muñoz-Escrivá, A. Pons, and M. Martı́nez-Corral, "Optical Aberrations Measurement with a Low Cost Optometric Instrument", AJP, Vol. 70, #8, Aug. 2002, p. 857.
  • Se‐yuen Mak, "Longitudinal Spherical Aberration of a Thick Lens", AJP, Vol. 55, #3, Mar. 1987, p. 247.
  • Xiangxi Chen, Jacob Huang, and Eddie Loh, "Computer-Assisted Teaching of Optics", AJP, Vol. 55, #12, Dec. 1987, p. 1129.
  • A. R. Lachaine and P. Rochon, "A Simple Demonstration of Spherical Aberration", AJP, Vol. 51, #9, Sep. 1983, p. 853.
  • W. W. Duley, "Measurement of Longitudinal Spherical Aberration of a Thin Lens with a Laser", AJP, Vol. 36, #9, Sept. 1968, p. 847.
  • G. B. Friedmann and H. S. Sandhu, "Longitudinal Spherical Aberration of a Thin Lens", AJP, Vol. 35, #7, July 1967, p. 628.
  • Daniel Nahshol, "Optical Aberrations—Demonstration and Measuring", AJP, Vol. 33, #11, Nov. 1965, p. 970.
  • David Grossman, "How One Mathematician Solved a 2,000-Year-Old Lens Problem", Popular Mechanics, Vol. 196, #8, Nov. 2019, p. 24.
  • "O-370. Stops - Apertures & Obstacles", DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.
  • "O-170. Spherical Aberration", DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.
  • G. D. Freier and F. J. Anderson, "Oh-1", A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
  • John Henry Pepper, "Spectrum Analysis", Cyclopadic Science Simplified, p. 86.
  • "36-6. Demonstrations of Polarization", Physics Demonstration Experiments, Vol. I & II.
  • John H. Moore, Christopher C. Davis, and Michael A. Coplan, "Spherical Aberrations", Building Scientific Apparatus 2nd Edition, p. 146.
  • Ron Hipschman, "Image Quality", Exploratorium Cookbook III, pp. 167.1 - 167.3.
  • C. Harvey Palmer, "Experiment A10: Spherical Aberration",  Optics - Experiments and Demonstrations, John Hopkins Press, 1962.
  • "5. Spherical Aberation", Experiments in Optics, Part 1, J. Klinger Scientific Apparatus Corp., Bulletin 101.
  • Joseph Frick, "#170 - Spherical Aberration", Physical Technics: Or, Practical Instructions for Making Experiments in Physics and the Construction of Physical Apparatus with the Most Limited Means", p. 199.