Lens Equation Calculator (Thin Lens)
Solve 1/f = 1/u + 1/v for the image distance, focal length or object distance, with magnification, image height, real-vs-virtual verdict and a live three-ray diagram.
Related tools
All Physics tools →Lens Equation Calculator (Thin Lens) works straight from this page — free, instant, nothing to install. You will find it under Physics, with Bernoulli equation calculator and Chemical Equation Balancer for the neighbouring cases.
How to use it
- Open the tool — no signup or install needed.
- Enter your input or adjust the available options.
- Get your result instantly, then copy or download it.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lens Equation Calculator (Thin Lens) do?
Solve 1/f = 1/u + 1/v for the image distance, focal length or object distance, with magnification, image height, real-vs-virtual verdict and a live three-ray diagram.
When would I actually use this?
Checking a homework answer, sizing something before building it, and getting an order of magnitude before committing to a design — a torque on a bolt, the force a spring returns, the frequency a circuit resonates at, how long light takes to arrive.
What is the most common mistake?
Feeding in a value in the wrong unit. Physics formulas assume SI throughout, so grams instead of kilograms or centimetres instead of metres shifts the answer by powers of ten without any warning.
How is Lens Equation Calculator (Thin Lens) different from Bernoulli equation calculator?
They sit next to each other but answer different questions: Bernoulli equation calculator is the one to open when you need it to bernoulli's principle for an ideal fluid: pressure + kinetic + potential head stays constant along a streamline, P + ½ρv² + ρgh = constant. Give the conditions at two points and leave one unknown — pressure, velocity or elevation — and it solves for it, revealing how a pipe that narrows speeds the flow and drops the pressure. Pick whichever matches what you're starting from — both are free.
Is there a tool for the next step?
Chemical Equation Balancer is the closest one after this: Balance any chemical equation instantly by solving the element matrix exactly — even tricky redox reactions.
What else is worth having open alongside it?
Angular Velocity Calculator and Coulomb's Law Calculator — they come up in the same task often enough to be worth a second tab.
Where do the figures come from?
Constants are the CODATA values and the formulas are the textbook ones. Most assume an idealised case — no air resistance, no friction, a point mass — and the tool says so where the simplification matters.