Q31 IB Physics HL Past Paper Solution May 2022 Paper 1 TZ 1 #ibdp #physics

Welcome to ZuAI - Ace Your IB Exams! In today’s video, we will solve an IB Physics question that covers the concept of resolving power using the Rayleigh criterion. This problem is particularly important for understanding how resolution works, a key topic in both IB Physics HL and SL.

Question Breakdown: We’re given that an observer with a pupil diameter d is viewing the headlights of a car that emit light of wavelength λ. The distance between the headlights is L. The question asks us to find the greatest distance at which the images of the headlights can still be resolved by the observer’s eye.

Solution: To solve this problem, we use the Rayleigh criterion for resolving power, which states that the minimum resolvable angle (θ) is given by θ = 1.22λ / d. This angle corresponds to the ratio L / D, where D is the distance between the observer and the car.

Rearranging for D, we get:

D = Ld / 1.22λ

This is the maximum distance at which the observer can resolve the two headlights.

So, the correct answer is Option C: Ld / 1.22λ.

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