Which optical phenomenon enables the magnifying effect in Alhazen's 11th-century reading stone (a plano-convex lens)?

💡 Explanation

When light passes through a curved surface as in Alhazen's lens, spherical aberration occurs because rays farther from the center focus differently, causing magnification but also blur. Therefore, reduced image quality results, rather than chromatic aberration, polarization, or total internal reflection which rely on separate mechanisms.

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