Magnifying glass

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A magnifying glass is a convex lens—usually mounted in a frame with a handle—that is used to produce a magnified image of an object. A magnifying glass can also be used to focus light, such as to concentrate the Sun's radiation to create a hot spot at the focus for fire starting.

Evidence of magnifying glasses exists from antiquity. The magnifying glass is an icon of detective fiction, particularly that of Sherlock Holmes.

An alternative to a magnifying glass is a sheet magnifier, which comprises many very narrow concentric ring-shaped lenses, such that the combination acts as a single lens but is much thinner