Diopter

Diopter is a unit of measurement used in optometry and ophthalmology to determine the optical power of a lens or a mirror. It is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length measured in meters (1/m). Diopters are used in the prescription of corrective lenses for myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia.

Definition

A diopter is defined as the reciprocal of the focal length in meters. For example, a 1 diopter lens brings parallel rays of light to focus at 1 meter. A 2 diopter lens brings them to focus at 1/2 meter, and so on. The power of a lens can be positive or negative, depending on whether the lens is converging (positive) or diverging (negative).

Usage in Optometry and Ophthalmology

In optometry and ophthalmology, a diopter is used to measure the optical power of a lens. The higher the diopter, the greater the optical power of the lens. This measurement is used in the prescription of corrective lenses for conditions such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia (age-related difficulty in focusing on near objects).

Prescription Notation

In a prescription for corrective lenses, the power of the lens is often written with the abbreviation D for diopter after the number. For example, a prescription might read -3.00 D, indicating a lens with a power of -3 diopters. A negative number indicates a lens for correcting myopia, while a positive number indicates a lens for correcting hyperopia.

See Also

• Optometry
• Ophthalmology
• Myopia
• Hyperopia
• Astigmatism
• Presbyopia

Diopter Resources
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