Question

Explain how an image is formed by a pinhole camera. Mention the characteristics of the image formed?

Answer 1

1. The image formation by a pinhole camera is based on the principle of rectilinear propagation of light.
2. The light coming from an object on passing through pinhole forms an image on the screen.
3. The image formation by a pinhole camera can be understood by a simple ray diagram.
4. The light ray which is coming from the top of the Object goes towards the bottom of the pinhole camera screen through the pinhole.
5. The light ray which is coming from the bottom of the Object goes towards the top of the pinhole camera screen through the pinhole.
6. In this way the light coming in a particular direction from each point of the Object will be able to enter into the pinhole and the light going in the other direction is blocked.
7. This leads the formation of an inverted image.
8. If we increase the size of the pinhole camera will get a blurred image on the screen.

The characteristics of the image formed by a pinhole camera are as follows:

1. The image formed is inverted
2. The image is real as it can be obtained on the screen
3. The size of the image depends on two factors
   1. The distance between the pinhole and the screen
   2. The distance between the object and the pinhole