A convex lens makes the object magnified, when viewed through it. A convex lens is thick in the middle and thin at its edge. When light rays pass through a convex lens, they bend inwards and converge at a common point to form an image of the source of light. Rays from the sun converge to form its image as a bright spot. A convex lens converges light rays. Therefore, it is also called a converging lens. The image formed when the object is placed close to a convex lens is virtual, erect and magnified. Virtual images cannot be caught on a screen. Images that are caught on a screen are called real images. When the object is placed at a distance from a convex lens, the image formed is real, inverted and diminished.