An object is 16 cm away from a diverging meniscus lens of focal length 20 cm. Find the position and

A diverging lens has a negative focal length: f = −20 cm. The object is real and in front of the lens, so u = −16 cm (real-is-positive-free Cartesian convention).

Lens formula: 1/v − 1/u = 1/f. So 1/v = 1/f + 1/u = −1/20 − 1/16 = −4/80 − 5/80 = −9/80.

v = −80/9 ≈ −8.89 cm. The negative sign means the image is on the same side as the object, so it is virtual, 8.89 cm from the lens.

A diverging lens never forms a real image of a real object, so the ‘real’ answers are ruled out at once.