What can be used as a magnifying glass

Magnifying glass uses can vary, despite having one job.

Did you ever try playing detective when you were a child? Searching for the smallest of clues was your goal, and what did you need other than a tweed suit and a cool hat?

A magnifying glass.

Sherlock Holmes may have used his handy magnifier to search for clues and solve mysteries. But did you know that people all over the world use this magnifying tool for all sorts of tasks on a daily basis?

In this post, we will answer a few most asked questions such as:

• How does a magnifying glass make things look bigger?
• In what ways are magnifying glasses used today?

Read on to find out more answers!

Magnifying Glass Uses: What Is It?

Magnifying glasses are commonly used in most laboratories; they are the simplest form of a basic microscope.

Magnifying glasses are optical devices used for viewing details of objects with magnification.

They are sometimes regarded as being the same as loupes. But precisely speaking—a loupe is used at a close distance from the eye.

Magnifying glasses, in contrast, are used at a larger distance from the eye and have a longer focal length of 125mm or more. They consist of a single convex lens that magnifies an object when the glass is held up to it.

How Does a Magnifying Glass Make Things Look Bigger?

Magnifying glasses work thanks to the simple principles of optical physics. They have broadened our understanding of nature, enabling us to see in great detail what we otherwise would not see at all.

But what is the physics behind it?

A magnifying glass is a convex lens, meaning it is curved outward—like the underside of a spoon. It uses a convex lens as this type of lens causes light rays to converge or come together.

A lens allows light rays to pass through it and bends, or refracts them. Light rays from the object enter the glass in parallel but are refracted by the lens, creating a visual image on the retina of your eye. This image then appears to be larger than the object itself.

How so? Your eyes trace the light rays back in straight lines to the virtual image, which is farther from your eyes than the object is. Thus it makes things look bigger.

Magnifying Glass Uses in Human Endeavours

Back in the day, magnifying glasses worked so well that they have became the foundation of great advancement in science, especially in biology and astronomy.

Today, they are widely used for daily simple tasks, such as for reading small texts. Or for scientific tasks like studying microscopic organisms.

Handheld magnifying glasses play important roles in many modern devices as well. Great examples of this are binoculars, cameras, and telescopes.

These instruments take advantage of the same magnifying lenses found in handheld units. But they do differ primarily in their arrangement and power.

Nevertheless, they enable us to see far-away things in excellent detail. For one, the magnifying glasses in astronomical telescopes.

Using a telescope allows us to view breathtaking images of distant planets, galaxies and other heavenly objects. Meanwhile, birdwatchers can enjoy an enhanced view of their targets with binoculars.

Different Types of Magnifying Glasses

There are many types of magnifying devices, but the ones listed below are the most common kind you will find in the market.

1. Binocular magnifiers

This type of magnifying glass is worn around the head, either alone or over prescription or safety eyeglasses. Binocular magnifiers are commonly used for close-up precision.

Some models come with an adjustable headband or a flip-up frame, allowing the user to move the magnifier out of view.

2. Desktop video magnifiers

These non-portable devices are typically larger and are placed on the surface of a table or desk, or in one fixed location. They are used for reading the pages of a document or placed in the living room for watching TV.

Desktop video magnifiers come with an integrated reading table, allowing the user to read a newspaper, write a letter, and more. Newer models are equipped with HD monitors and optical character recognition.

3. Handheld magnifiers

Handheld magnifiers are commonly used by individuals with low vision. They come in handy for simple tasks like reading a label on a medicine bottle, checking a price tag or a map, to name a few.

Plus, they are portable enough to fit into a pocket or small pouch. Even better, handheld magnifiers are cheap.

If you are looking for one, check out this 75mm diameter magnifying glass. It features a sturdy frame and a hard plastic handle for durability.

The model also comes with an acrylic lens with an inner circle 5X magnification while the main lens is 2.5X. And you might as well check the magnifying glasses in plastic material, which are robust and hard-wearing, not to mention the low cost!

4. Magnifying lamps

A magnifying lamp is usually attached to a flexible arm that can be moved over the reading material. This type of magnifier is available in a variety of models that feature the following:

• Different magnification levels
• Illumination levels
• Types of light bulbs
• Colour of light emitted from the magnifier
• Size of the lens
• Weight of the magnifier

Check out our range of magnifying lamps here.

5. Freestanding magnifiers

Also known as stand magnifiers, they are attached to small legs or other supports for a hands-free operation. They sit above the page in a frame that is fixed or at a tilt.

The design helps maintain a distance from the reading material and remain in focus, even if the user has unsteady hands. Just like this freestanding magnifying glass.

It features a large 115mm lens and the ability to fold completely flat for storage purposes. You also might want to check this collapsible mini magnifier with LED.

As the name suggests, it collapses down into a compact size for storage or travel. But opens up into a powerful eight dioptre magnifier, complete with LED lighting.

It only needs 3 x AAA batteries for the light, so it’ll go anywhere you do.

6. Pocket magnifiers

This small type of magnifying glass are usually housed in hard plastic cases that slide or snap open and shut. Some available models come with two or more lenses, which can be used individually or in combination.

If you are looking for one, then you are going to like this very compact folding pocket magnifier with 10x magnification. It is ideal for many uses in and out of the lab.

With a magnifying glass in hand, you have the power of making the tiniest details seem larger than life. It is not only used by detectives, pretty much anyone can find a use for one.

Once you have a magnifying glass in hand, get outside and explore! Get down on your knees and use it to reveal the tiniest things around you.

We hope you enjoyed this brief lesson on magnifying glasses!

© Wiltronics Research Pty Ltd 2021

If the reason you are having trouble reading the small type is because you are farsighted/nearsighted, or because it is dark (causing your pupils to dilate and your vision to get fuzzier) you may find it useful to use a pinhole lens.

Make a pinhole in a piece of paper or some other thin object, using a pin, safety pin, or the tip of a knife, and then hold it close to your eye and look through it. The image as viewed through the pinhole will not be magnified, but it will be in focus. The smaller and more regular the pinhole is, the sharper the focus will be (and the darker the image will be, due to less light getting through).

I put a pinhole in one of my credit cards, and sometimes use it to view restaurant menus which I would be unable to read otherwise without glasses due to my farsightedness and the dim light that typically happens in restaurants.

Another thing you can use if necessary is a thumb and two opposite fingers held together to create a tiny triangular hole where they all meet.

Whether you are trying to read a menu in a dark restaurant, the warning label on your medicine, or the fine print on a contract you possibly should not be signing, a magnifying glass can come in very handy. One with a light is even better.

Good news! That phone in your pocket is filled with handy tools, including a magnifying glass. No more squinting! Your phone’s magnifying glass lets you see the small stuff, any time, anywhere.

iPhone magnifying glass Setting

The iPhone has a useful magnifying glass feature that uses the camera. You must turn this feature on in order to use it.

Turning on the magnifying glass on an iPhone

To turn on the magnifying glass on your iPhone, go to:

Settings, then General, then Accessibility, then Magnifier. Turn it to On.

You can also turn Auto-Brightness to on. Auto-Brightness changes the brightness of the screen based on the available light.

Using the magnifying glass on an iPhone

To use the iPhone’s magnifying glass, called the Magnifier, tap the Home button three times. That will open the magnifying glass screen.

Slide the yellow dot on the Magnifier to zoom in and out. Slide the dot right to zoom in and left to zoom out.

Tap the lightning icon to turn on the light on your phone and brighten what you are seeing.

Tap the lock icon to keep the camera’s focus level from changing.

Tap the white circle button to freeze the image. The circle will have a yellow edge while the image is frozen. Tap the button again to unfreeze the image.

You can freeze the image on the Magnifier and then zoom in on it. This way the image is stable as you are trying to see it. Move the image around with your finger to see different parts of the image.

Tap the triangle in the lower right corner of the screen to control the image you are seeing. The filter lets you adjust the brightness and color of the image. You can also add colored filters to the image.

In the bottom left corner of the filter screen is an invert button that lets you change the colors. Tap that to invert the colors.

Android

Some Android phones also have a magnifying glass feature, but you need to turn it on for it to work. To turn on the magnifying glass, go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Vision, then Magnification and turn it on.

When you need to use the magnifying glass, go to the camera app and tap the screen three times. To turn off the magnifying glass, tap the screen three times again.

Some Android phones do not come with a magnifying glass feature built in. You can use zoom in the camera app if you need magnification.

Many magnifying apps are in the Google Play app store with different features. Some of these apps are free but have advertisements.

Magnifying Glass Flashlight

Magnifying Glass Flashlight currently has the highest rating of the magnifying apps in the Google Play store. This app has both magnification and a flashlight to shine a light on what you are trying to see. Like the iPhone Magnifier, this app can freeze the image so you can zoom in and steady what you are trying to see.

This app has small ads at the bottom of the screen. They do not flash or move so they are fairly easy to ignore.

The first time you use the app, you will see that the flashlight is on by default. You can turn this off if you do not need it, and want to save battery, by tapping the lightbulb icon in the lower right corner of the screen.

Tap the “A” button to add a blue filter and invert colors so light becomes dark and dark becomes light.

Tap the Red and Blue button to have the camera light flash like a strobe light.

Tap the camera button to freeze the image and take a screenshot of the image. Pinch and spread your fingers to zoom in and out of the image.

Tap the photo button on the left to see the screenshots you have taken and to share them with others. Tap the back button on your phone to return to the magnifying glass.

You can check out other Magnifying Glass apps in the Google Play Store: Magnifying Glass Apps in Google Play.

Be sure to check for apps having a light, if that is important to you.

I’m Caty Weaver. And I’m Pete Musto.

Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Have you ever needed a magnifying glass but did not have one handy? Do you like the idea of using your phone as a magnifying glass? Do you use a magnifying glass app that you would recommend?

Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

menu - n. a list of the foods that may be ordered at a restaurant​

contract - n. a legal agreement between people, companies, etc.​

magnifying glass - n. a specially shaped piece of glass that is attached to a handle and is used to make an object look larger than it is

squint - v. to look at something with your eyes partly closed

zoom - v. to adjust the lens of a camera

focus - n. a state in which something (such as a camera, a telescope, or a person's eyes) produces a clear picture or image​

invert - v. to change the position, order, or relationship of things so that they are the opposite of what they had been

default - n. a setting, option, etc., that a computer uses if you do not choose a different one

strobe light - n. a bright light that flashes on and off very quickly​

screenshot - n. an image of the data displayed on the screen of a computer or mobile device.