The correct spelling of the optical device that gathers and focuses light from the specimen in a microscope is objective lens. It is pronounced as /əbˈdʒɛktɪv lɛnz/. The IPA phonetic transcription of the word breaks down its pronunciation into individual sounds. The symbol /ə/ represents the schwa sound, /b/ is the voiced bilabial plosive, /dʒ/ is the voiced palato-alveolar affricate, /ɛ/ is the open-mid front unrounded vowel, /k/ is the voiceless velar plosive, /tɪv/ is the word's last syllable pronounced as /tɪv/.
The objective lens refers to an optical element primarily used in imaging devices, such as microscopes, telescopes, and cameras. It is a crucial component that plays a major role in capturing and focusing light rays onto a specific focal point. The objective lens is positioned at the front end of the optical system and is responsible for gathering and magnifying the incoming light. Its primary function is to form a real, inverted, and magnified image of the object being observed.
Typically composed of multiple lens elements, the objective lens' design ensures that it corrects various optical aberrations, including chromatic aberration and spherical aberration, arising from the refraction of light through the lens material. It achieves this correction by utilizing various lens shapes, sizes, and materials with different refractive indices.
Based on its application, objective lenses can have different focal lengths and provide different levels of magnification. In microscopes and telescopes, objective lenses are usually interchangeable, offering various magnification powers to allow for the observation of objects at different distances.
Overall, the objective lens has a crucial role in producing clear and detailed images in optical devices. Its ability to focus light and correct optical aberrations makes it an indispensable component in various scientific, medical, and photographic applications, helping researchers, photographers, and astronomers to explore and understand the world around them.
The etymology of the word "objective" can be traced back to the Latin word "objectivus", which means "relating to or of an object". It comes from the past participle of the verb "objicere", meaning "to throw or present before". In optics, an objective lens is so named because it is the lens through which light is collected and focused before it reaches the eyepiece or camera sensor, allowing for a clear and magnified view of the object being observed.