Thin lens is the index of refraction of the lens material, and "R" and "R" are the radii of curvature of the two surfaces. For a thin lens, "d" is much smaller than one of the radii of curvature (either "R" or "R"). In these conditions, the last term of the Lensmaker's equation becomes negligible, and the focal length of a thin lens in air can be approximated by Here "R" is taken to be positive if the first surface is convex, and negative if the surface is concave. The signs are reversed for the back surface of the lens: "R" is
Focal cloud Focal cloud A focal cloud is the collection of focal points of an "imperfect" lens or parabolic reflector whether optical, electrostatic or electromagnetic. This includes parabolic antennas and lens-type reflective antennas of all kinds. The effect is analogous to the circle of confusion in photography. In a perfect lens or parabolic reflector, rays parallel to the device's axis striking the lens or reflector all pass through a single point, the focal point. In an imperfectly constructed lens or reflector, rays passing through different parts of the element do not converge to a single point but have different focal points. The