Shooting the Moon < 5 of 13 > Review | Constants Scientists can measure the distance to the moon with great accuracy by firing a laser pulse and then timing how. long it takes to see the reflection from mirrors left on the moon by Apollo astronauts 50 years ago. A laser beam may seem to be a perfectly straight line as it crosses a room, but any laser beam is actually spreading out as it travels because it has diffracted through a circular aperture as it leaves the laser. Correct The laser beam needs to diffract through an approximately 1-foot-diameter aperture as it leaves the laser in order for diffraction to be small enough to keep the beam diameter at the moon to no more than 2 km in diameter. These are not the size apertures for which we normally expect to see diffraction, but it's a real issue for light beams traveling these distances. The actual range-finding lasers use a shorter wavelength, which helps, but they also must allow for additional divergence as the laser beam passes through the atmosphere. So a 30 cm diameter is about what's needed even at a shorter wavelength. The laser uses a group of lenses of increasing size to accomplish this. Part C A laser used for lunar range-finding shoots a laser pulse with Eg 0.12 J of energy. The reflectors on the moon are 45 cm x 45 cm. If we assume that the laser beam energy is uniformly distributed - a rather poor assumption but adequate for making an estimate - how much laser-light energy hits the reflector? Express your answer in nanojoules. View Available Hint(s). Η ΑΣΦ ? E=120000000 nJ Submit Previous Answers X Incorrect; Try Again; 8 attempts remaining Provide Feedback Next >

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Shooting the Moon
<
5 of 13 >
Review | Constants
Scientists can measure the distance to the moon with
great accuracy by firing a laser pulse and then timing how.
long it takes to see the reflection from mirrors left on the
moon by Apollo astronauts 50 years ago. A laser beam
may seem to be a perfectly straight line as it crosses a
room, but any laser beam is actually spreading out as it
travels because it has diffracted through a circular
aperture as it leaves the laser.
Correct
The laser beam needs to diffract through an approximately 1-foot-diameter aperture as it leaves the laser in order for diffraction to
be small enough to keep the beam diameter at the moon to no more than 2 km in diameter. These are not the size apertures for
which we normally expect to see diffraction, but it's a real issue for light beams traveling these distances. The actual range-finding
lasers use a shorter wavelength, which helps, but they also must allow for additional divergence as the laser beam passes through
the atmosphere. So a 30 cm diameter is about what's needed even at a shorter wavelength. The laser uses a group of lenses of
increasing size to accomplish this.
Part C
A laser used for lunar range-finding shoots a laser pulse with Eg 0.12 J of energy. The reflectors on the moon are 45 cm x 45 cm. If we
assume that the laser beam energy is uniformly distributed - a rather poor assumption but adequate for making an estimate - how much
laser-light energy hits the reflector?
Express your answer in nanojoules.
View Available Hint(s).
Η ΑΣΦ
?
E=120000000
nJ
Submit
Previous Answers
X Incorrect; Try Again; 8 attempts remaining
Provide Feedback
Next >
Transcribed Image Text:Shooting the Moon < 5 of 13 > Review | Constants Scientists can measure the distance to the moon with great accuracy by firing a laser pulse and then timing how. long it takes to see the reflection from mirrors left on the moon by Apollo astronauts 50 years ago. A laser beam may seem to be a perfectly straight line as it crosses a room, but any laser beam is actually spreading out as it travels because it has diffracted through a circular aperture as it leaves the laser. Correct The laser beam needs to diffract through an approximately 1-foot-diameter aperture as it leaves the laser in order for diffraction to be small enough to keep the beam diameter at the moon to no more than 2 km in diameter. These are not the size apertures for which we normally expect to see diffraction, but it's a real issue for light beams traveling these distances. The actual range-finding lasers use a shorter wavelength, which helps, but they also must allow for additional divergence as the laser beam passes through the atmosphere. So a 30 cm diameter is about what's needed even at a shorter wavelength. The laser uses a group of lenses of increasing size to accomplish this. Part C A laser used for lunar range-finding shoots a laser pulse with Eg 0.12 J of energy. The reflectors on the moon are 45 cm x 45 cm. If we assume that the laser beam energy is uniformly distributed - a rather poor assumption but adequate for making an estimate - how much laser-light energy hits the reflector? Express your answer in nanojoules. View Available Hint(s). Η ΑΣΦ ? E=120000000 nJ Submit Previous Answers X Incorrect; Try Again; 8 attempts remaining Provide Feedback Next >
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