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Chromatic aberration causes different colours of light to focus at different points through the same lens. What underlying property of the lens causes this?
AThe lens material's index of refraction depends on colour or wavelength
BThe lens surface reflects some colours and transmits others
CThe lens is always thicker at the edges for every colour
DThe lens absorbs blue light completely before it can focus
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The lens material's index of refraction depends on colour or wavelength
1. The index of refraction of a lens depends slightly on colour, or wavelength.
2. That variation means each colour is bent by a slightly different amount and focuses at a slightly different place, producing chromatic aberration.
3. Mirrors do not have this problem, since the law of reflection does not depend on wavelength at all.
4. The lens does not simply reflect some colours and transmit others, so that option describes the wrong kind of process.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 16 "Mirrors and Lenses", section 16.3 Lenses_
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