Which type of lens produces an inverted image?

• A. Concave lens
• B. Plane lens
• C. Convex lens
• D. Cylindrical lens

Answer: (C)

Understanding image orientation with lenses helps explain why a convex lens is the one that can produce an inverted image. A convex lens is a converging lens that bends parallel light toward the axis. When the object is placed beyond the focal point, the refracted rays cross and form a real image on the other side of the lens. The crossing causes the image to be upside down relative to the object. This inverted real image is a hallmark of using a converging lens.

A concave lens, by contrast, diverges light, so the extensions of the rays don’t form a real image; the image is virtual and upright. A plane lens doesn’t create the crossing rays needed for a real inverted image, so it typically doesn’t produce an inverted image in the standard sense. A cylindrical lens focuses light in only one direction, producing line-like or distorted images rather than the simple inverted image produced by a typical converging lens.