Carl has a 5-inch refracting telescope, and Jim has a 3-inch reflecting telescope. Whose telescope has a higher light-gathering power?
A) Carl's, because lenses gather more light.
B) Jim's, because mirrors gather more light.
C) Carl's, because the larger the diameter, the more light to be collected.
D) Jim's, because the smaller the diameter, the more light to be collected.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The light-gathering power of a telescope is proportional to the area of its aperture. Carl's telescope has a larger diameter (5 inches) compared to Jim's (3 inches), thus it has a higher light-gathering power.

Carl Has a 5-Inch Refracting Telescope, and Jim Has a 3-Inch