Question

To maximize the magnification of a refracting telescope, what lenses should you choose?

A. The objective lens should have a large focal length and the eyepiece should have a small focal length
B. The objective lens should have a small focal length and the eyepiece should have a large focal length
C. The objective lens should have a large focal length, but it doesn't matter what the focal length of the eyepiece is.
D. The objective lens and eyepiece should both have large focal lengths.
E. The objective lens and eyepiece should both have small focal lengths.

Answer 1

To maximize the magnification of a refracting telescope, choose an objective lens with a large focal length and an eyepiece with a small focal length for the highest angular magnification.

Step-by-step explanation:

To maximize the magnification of a refracting telescope, the objective lens should have a large focal length and the eyepiece should have a small focal length. This combination allows for the greatest angular magnification, which means the object will appear larger when viewed through the telescope, enabling more details to be observed. The angular magnification (M) is the ratio of the angle subtended by the magnified image to the angle subtended by the object viewed with the unaided eye. Therefore, an objective with a long focal length and an eyepiece with a short focal length result in higher angular magnification.