ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Corrective lens

Have you ever squinted your eyes to see something far away? Or held a book really close to your face to read? That's because your eyes might not be able to see things very clearly on their own. But don't worry - that's where corrective lenses come in!

A corrective lens is a special kind of glass or plastic that helps your eyes see better. When you put them on, they change the way light enters your eyes so that everything looks clearer. You might have seen people wearing glasses or contact lenses - these are both types of corrective lenses.

If your eyes have trouble seeing things that are far away, you might need glasses or contact lenses with a special kind of lens called a concave lens. This lens is thicker at the edges and thinner in the middle, and it helps to focus light properly on your retina (which is a part of your eye that helps you see). If your eyes have trouble seeing things up close, you might need glasses or contact lenses with a convex lens. This lens is thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges, and it also focuses light properly on your retina.

Corrective lenses can help people of all ages see better, and they're especially important for kids because they need to see clearly to learn and grow. So if you ever have trouble seeing things clearly, don't worry - just visit an eye doctor and they'll help you get the right kind of corrective lenses to make everything look crystal clear!