Question

For an independent study project, you design an experiment to measure the speed of light. You propose to bounce laser light off a mirror that is 51.0 km due east and have it detected by a light sensor that is 135 m due south of the laser. The first problem is to orient the mirror so that the laser light reflects off the mirror and into the light sensor. Determine the angle that the normal to the mirror should make with respect to due west.

Answer 1

Answer:

4.55 minute

Explanation:

51 km = 51000 m

the ray of light travels due east 51000 m , bounces back from reflecting mirrors  . The reflected light gets focused on a point 135 m south . Let the angle between incident light and reflected light be θ.

tanθ = 135 / 51000

θ = .1516 degree

= .1516 x 60 minute

= 9.09 minute

angle between incident ray ( east - west ) and normal = 9.09 / 2

= 4.55 minute Ans