Question

An optical telescope using 650 nm light has a diameter of 1 m. A radio telescope using radio waves of wavelength 6.5 cm has a diameter of 100 m. The resolution of the optical telescope is ________.

Answer 1

The resolution of an optical telescope using a 650 nm wavelength and a 1-meter diameter is determined by plugging the values into Rayleigh’s criterion formula.

Step-by-step explanation:

The resolution of an optical telescope is determined by its aperture (diameter) and the wavelength of the light it uses. In the case of an optical telescope using 650 nm light and a diameter of 1 meter, the resolution can be calculated using Rayleigh’s criterion for resolution, which is Θ = 1.22 λ/D, where Θ is the angular resolution, λ is the wavelength, and D is the diameter of the telescope aperture.

Plugging in the values provided, we get: Θ = 1.22 × 650 nm / 1 m, which when calculated gives us the telescope's angular resolution.