Question

On the Moon's surface, lunar astronauts placed a corner reflector for laser beam reflection. What percent correction is needed for the delay in time due to the slowing of light in Earth's atmosphere (n=1.000293)?

a) 0.07%
b) 0.14%
c) 0.21%
d) 0.28%

Answer 1

To calculate the percent correction needed for the delay in time due to the slowing of light in Earth's atmosphere, we can use Snell's law. The correct answer is 0.07%.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the percent correction needed for the delay in time due to the slowing of light in Earth's atmosphere, we can use Snell's law. Snell's law states that the ratio of the sines of the angles of incidence and refraction is equal to the ratio of the velocities of light in the two different media.

In this case, we can use the index of refraction of Earth's atmosphere, which is given as n = 1.000293. The percent correction can be calculated using the formula:

• Percent Correction = ((n - 1) / n) * 100.

Substituting the given value for n into the formula, we get:

• Percent Correction = ((1.000293 - 1) / 1.000293) * 100 = 0.0699%.

Therefore, the correct answer is 0.07%.