A camera lens having a 50-mm focal length is set to f/4.0.What is the minimum spacing of two objects located 12 m from the lens if the objects are just barely resolved in the image using light of wavelength 500 nm? A)1.66 mm B)4.72 mm C)0.024 mm D)4.9 × 10^-5 m E)0.59 mm

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The minimum resolvable distance (Rayleigh criterion) is given by the formula: θ = 1.22 * (λ/D), where λ is the wavelength and D is the diameter of the aperture. The diameter D can be found using the f-number (f/4.0) and the focal length (50 mm), giving D = 12.5 mm. The angle θ can then be converted to linear separation using the distance to the objects (12 m), resulting in approximately 0.59 mm.

A Camera Lens Having a 50-Mm Focal Length Is Set