For an optical system in air, it is the distance over which initially collimated rays are brought to a focus. A system with a shorter focal length has greater optical power than one with a long focal length; that is, it bends the rays more strongly, bringing them to a focus in a shorter distance.
Optical power (also referred to as dioptric power, refractive power, focusing power, or convergence power) is the degree to which a lens, mirror, or other optical system converges or diverges light. It is equal to the reciprocal of the focal length of the device. The dioptre is the most common unit of measurement of optical power. The SI unit for optical power is the inverse metre (m-1).
For two or more thin lenses close together, the optical power of the combined lenses is approximately equal to the sum of the optical powers of each lens. Similarly, the optical power of a single lens is roughly equal to the sum of the powers of each surface. These approximations are commonly used in ophthalmology.
When a lens is immersed in a medium, its optical power and focal length change.
An eye that has too much or too little refractive power to focus light onto the retina has a refractive error. A myopic eye has too much power so light is focused in front of the retina. Conversely, a hyperopic eye has too little power so when the eye is relaxed, light is focused behind the retina. An eye with a refractive power in one meridian that is different from the refractive power of the other meridians has astigmatism. Anisometropia is the condition in which one eye has a different refractive power than the other eye.
