What is the purpose of a magnifying lens?

A magnifying lens primarily serves to enlarge the appearance of an object, making it easier to see fine details. This is achieved by bending light rays that pass through the lens, which increases the size of the image perceived by the eye. The correct answer is often associated with its function in various applications that involve visual magnification.

While starting a fire with the aid of the sun could involve focusing sunlight using a lens, this is not the principal or most common purpose of a magnifying lens. Instead, the primary use is in applications such as reading small print or examining small objects closely, which aligns with other choices.

In surgical procedures, magnifying lenses are indeed used during operations, usually in the form of surgical loupes or microscopes, to provide surgeons with a clearer view of the area being operated on. This enhances precision and accuracy during intricate procedures, but this option does not represent the primary or simplest use of a standard magnifying lens.

The enhancement of sound is related to different types of devices such as hearing aids, but these function through amplification technology rather than through visual lenses, thus making this option unrelated to the purpose of a magnifying lens.

Measuring distances in space also does not apply to the function of a magnifying lens; such