Can a diverging lens be used as a magnifying glass? Explain.

Can a diverging lens be used as a magnifying glass?

Yes, a diverging lens cannot be used as a magnifying glass.

Explanation

No, a diverging lens cannot be used as a magnifying glass. A magnifying glass is a type of converging lens. The different behavior of light in these two types of lenses accounts for their different applications. In a converging lens, light rays that enter the lens parallel to its axis meet, or converge, at a single point on the opposite side of the lens. This property is what makes a converging lens useful as a magnifying glass - it enlarges the image viewed through the lens. However, a diverging lens works in the opposite way. Light rays that enter a diverging lens parallel to its axis spread out, or diverge, on the other side. Thus, the image viewed through a diverging lens is diminished in size, so a diverging lens cannot be used as a magnifying glass.
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