Which telescope would collect 100 times more light than a 1-meter telescope?
A) 100-meter telescope
B) 50-meter telescope
C) 30-meter telescope
D) 10-meter telescope

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The amount of light a telescope can collect is proportional to the area of its mirror, which is proportional to the square of its diameter. Therefore, to collect 100 times more light, the diameter of the telescope's mirror must increase by a factor of the square root of 100, which is 10. Thus, a 10-meter telescope would collect 100 times more light than a 1-meter telescope.

Which Telescope Would Collect 100 Times More Light Than a 1-Meter