AIPMT PRELIMS2004Physics-Optics

AIPMT PRELIMS 2004 Physics Resolution of Telescopes MCQ Question

Type: MCQ-numerical-Hard-Class 12

A telescope has an objective lens of 10 cm diameter and is situated at a distance of one kilometer from two objects. The minimum distance between these two objects, which can be resolved by the telescope, when the mean wavelength of light is 5000 Å, is of the order of-

A

5 m

B

5 cm

C

5 mm

D

0.5 m

Correct Answer

Option B

Detailed Explanation

Using the Rayleigh criterion for resolution, θ = 1.22λ/D. The minimum distance is θ times the distance to the objects, giving approximately 5 cm.

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