Optical magnification is the process of making an object appear larger through the use of optical lenses. This is achieved by bending or refracting the light that passes through the lens, which changes the angle and size of the image formed by the lens. The magnification power of an optical lens is determined by its focal length and is typically expressed as a ratio of the size of the image formed by the lens to the size of the object being viewed.

For example, a lens with a magnification power of 2x would make an object appear twice as large as it would appear to the naked eye. Similarly, a lens with a magnification power of 10x would make an object appear ten times larger than it would appear without the lens.

Optical magnification is commonly used in a variety of applications, including microscopy, astronomy, and photography. Magnifying lenses are also used in everyday products such as eyeglasses, binoculars, and telescopes. The ability to magnify objects optically has revolutionized the way we observe and study the world around us, and has allowed us to explore the microscopic and macroscopic realms with greater clarity and detail.