A higher Abbe value results in a lower amount of chromatic aberration. True or false?

A higher Abbe value results in a lower amount of chromatic aberration. True or false?

• A. Higher
• B. Lower
• C. No change
• D. Varies

Answer: (B)

Chromatic aberration is caused by light of different colors bending by different amounts as it passes through a lens. The Abbe number of a material measures how much its refractive index changes with wavelength (dispersion). A higher Abbe number means less dispersion, so rays of blue and red light bend more similarly. That reduces longitudinal chromatic aberration, and overall chromatic aberration becomes lower. So the statement is true: increasing the Abbe value lowers chromatic aberration. Keep in mind that lens design, thickness, and curvature also affect CA, but material dispersion sets the general trend.

Chromatic aberration is caused by light of different colors bending by different amounts as it passes through a lens. The Abbe number of a material measures how much its refractive index changes with wavelength (dispersion). A higher Abbe number means less dispersion, so rays of blue and red light bend more similarly. That reduces longitudinal chromatic aberration, and overall chromatic aberration becomes lower. So the statement is true: increasing the Abbe value lowers chromatic aberration. Keep in mind that lens design, thickness, and curvature also affect CA, but material dispersion sets the general trend.