magnification

mag·ni·fi·ca·tion   (māg'nə-fĭ-kā'shən)    n.   The act of magnifying or the state of being magnified. The process of enlarging the size of something, as an optical image. Something that has been magnified; an enlarged representation, image, or model. The ratio of the size of an image to the size of an object.

Main Entry: mag·ni·fi·ca·tion
Pronunciation: "mag-n&-f&-'kA-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : the act of magnifying
2 a : the state of being magnified b : the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument that is the ratio of the dimensions of an image formed by theinstrument to the corresponding dimensions of the object called also power

magnification mag·ni·fi·ca·tion (māg'nə-fĭ-kā'shən)
n.

1. The act of magnifying or the state of being magnified.

2. Something that has been magnified; an enlarged representation, image, or model.

3. The ratio of the size of an image to the size of an object.

magnification

in optics, the size of an image relative to the size of the object creating it. Linear (sometimes called lateral or transverse) magnification refers to the ratio of image length to object length measured in planes that are perpendicular to the optical axis. A negative value of linear magnification denotes an inverted image. Longitudinal magnification denotes the factor by which an image increases in size, as measured along the optical axis. Angular magnification is equal to the ratio of the tangents of the angles subtended by an object and its image when measured from a given point in the instrument, as with magnifiers and binoculars.

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