What type of lens is characterized by being thinner in the center than at the edges?

The lens characterized by being thinner in the center than at the edges is indeed a concave lens. Concave lenses are designed to diverge light rays that are coming into them. This thin center allows the lens to spread the light outward, creating a virtual focal point where the light appears to originate from.

When parallel rays of light enter a concave lens, they bend outward, diverging away from one another. The shape of the lens is crucial to its function; because it is thinner in the center, it allows for this divergence to occur effectively. This property makes concave lenses commonly used in applications such as eyeglasses for nearsightedness, where the lens helps to correct vision by spreading the light before it reaches the eye.

In contrast, other types of lenses like convex or biconvex lenses are thicker in the center and converge light rays together to a point. Understanding the unique shape and behavior of concave lenses is essential in optics and vision correction technologies.