How much more light can the 5-m telescope at Mount Palomar collect from an astronomical source than the unaided human eye (with a diameter of 5 mm)?
A) 10⁶ ⁽or 1,000,000) times
B) 1000 times
C) 10,000 times
D) 5000 times

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The amount of light collected by a telescope is directly proportional to its diameter squared. The diameter of the human eye is approximately 5 mm, while the diameter of the 5-m telescope at Mount Palomar is 5,000,000 mm. Taking the ratio of the diameters squared, we get:

(5,000,000 mm / 5 mm)² = 1,000,000

This means that the 5-m telescope can collect 1,000,000 times more light than the unaided human eye. Therefore, the best choice is A) 10⁶ ⁽or 1,000,000) times.

How Much More Light Can the 5-M Telescope at Mount