What angle is subtended when using this 270-diopter objective?

  • Thread starter Thread starter phys62
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Angle
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
Sign up Log in
4 replies · 2K views
phys62
Messages
53
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


An anatomist is viewing heart muscle cells with a microscope that has two selectable objectives with refracting powers of 140 and 270 diopters. When she uses the 140-diopter objective, the image of a cell subtends an angle of 3.7 x 10-3 rad with the eye. What angle is subtended when she uses the 270-diopter objective?


Homework Equations


tan alpha=h/f


The Attempt at a Solution


h=tan(3.7x10^-3)(140) = 0.518
tan beta = 0.518/270
beta = 0.0019185 rad


This is incorrect... I am not sure if I'm even going about this problem the right way. Thanks for any help you can give!
 

Discussion

Physics news on Phys.org
Note the small angle involved (3.7 x 10^-3 rad), so the small angle approximation is valid
θ ≈ sinθ ≈ tanθ​
The image will simply be magnified in proportion to the power of the objective.
 
I don't really understand what this means.. how are you saying I would go about solving this with that in mind?
 
The image originally subtended an angle of 3.7 x 10^-3 rad.

Using a stronger objective, we expect the image to appear larger.

Since the objective strength has been increased by a ratio of (270/140), the 3.7 x 10^-3 rad angle will get multiplied by that same factor.
 
Ohh, I was making it harder than it should be. Thank you very much!