When you look at an object very close to your eyes, the:
When you look at an object very close to your eyes, the:
Options
A. Ciliary muscles of your eye contract and the eye lens becomes thick.
Hint
Think about what must happen to the focal length of the eye lens for a near object to be focused on the retina.
Quick Oral Answer
For a very close object, ciliary muscles contract, increasing the curvature and thickness of the eye lens, which decreases its focal length so the image still forms on the retina.
Analysis & Explanation
As stated in the NCERT text (Section 10.1.1, Power of Accommodation): "When you are looking at objects closer to the eye, the ciliary muscles contract. This increases the curvature of the eye lens. The eye lens then becomes thicker. Consequently, the focal length of the eye lens decreases. This enables us to see nearby objects clearly."
So for a very close object:
- Ciliary muscles contract (not relax).
- The curvature of the eye lens increases, so the lens becomes thicker (not thinner).
- Because a thicker, more curved lens has a shorter focal length, the image of the nearby object can still be focused precisely on the retina.
This adjustment ability is called the eye's power of accommodation.
Why each option is right/wrong:
- (A) Correct. Ciliary muscles contract, increasing lens curvature, making the lens thick — exactly what the text describes for viewing very close objects.
- (B) Incorrect. This describes what happens when viewing distant objects: "When the muscles are relaxed, the lens becomes thin." It is the reverse of what happens for near objects.
- (C) Incorrect. The muscles do contract for a close object, but the text explicitly states the lens becomes thicker (increased curvature), not thinner.
- (D) Incorrect. This combines the relaxed-muscle condition (for distant vision) with a thin lens, which is unrelated to viewing a very close object.
Common Mistakes
- 1Assuming ciliary muscles relax for near objects (this is the case for distant objects, the opposite situation).
- 2Confusing 'lens becomes thick/increased curvature' with 'lens becomes thin', reversing the correct relation between curvature and focal length.
Interesting Facts
The focal length of the eye lens cannot be decreased below a certain minimum limit, which is why holding a book too close (closer than the near point, about 25 cm) makes the image blurred.
The crystalline lens itself contributes only 'fine adjustment' to focusing — most of the refraction of light entering the eye actually occurs at the cornea.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many marks does this question carry in CBSE Class 10 Science 2026?
This question carries 1 mark in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2026 examination.
Which chapter does this question come from in Science?
This question is from the chapter "The Human Eye and the Colourful World" in the CBSE Class 10 Science syllabus.
What topic does this question cover in Science?
This question covers the topic "Power of Accommodation" from CBSE Class 10 Science.
What type of question is this in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2026 paper?
This is a MCQ question from Section C in the CBSE Class 10 Science 2026 paper.