What is chromatic aberration?

What is chromatic aberration?

• A. A distortion where all colors focus at the same point
• B. An optical distortion where colors focus at different points
• C. A type of lens defect that causes blur
• D. Refraction of light at different wavelengths

Answer: (B)

Chromatic aberration refers to the optical phenomenon where different colors of light fail to converge at the same point after passing through a lens. This occurs because lenses have varying refractive indices for different wavelengths of light, which leads to different focal lengths for colors such as red, green, and blue. As a result, each color focuses at a distinct point, causing a misalignment that creates a blurred or distorted image, particularly around the edges of objects. This optical distortion manifests as a fringe of color along boundaries that separate dark and bright parts of the image. Understanding this behavior is crucial in optics as it affects the clarity and accuracy of images produced by optical systems such as cameras and telescopes. Hence, chromatic aberration is accurately defined as an optical distortion where colors focus at different points.

Chromatic aberration refers to the optical phenomenon where different colors of light fail to converge at the same point after passing through a lens. This occurs because lenses have varying refractive indices for different wavelengths of light, which leads to different focal lengths for colors such as red, green, and blue. As a result, each color focuses at a distinct point, causing a misalignment that creates a blurred or distorted image, particularly around the edges of objects.

This optical distortion manifests as a fringe of color along boundaries that separate dark and bright parts of the image. Understanding this behavior is crucial in optics as it affects the clarity and accuracy of images produced by optical systems such as cameras and telescopes. Hence, chromatic aberration is accurately defined as an optical distortion where colors focus at different points.