...find the angular width of the pencil, in minutes of an arc.
Please show your work because I am having a lot of trouble understanding and figuring this out. Thanks a whole lot!
2006-10-09 07:56:34 · 2 answers · asked by hunnnnk 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The relevant equation is: Tan(theta)=0.5/50=0.01, so theta=Arctan(0.01). If you have a scientific calculator that does inverse tangents then you can get the answer. Or you can find the approximate answer by the small angle approximation, which holds that 0.01~=theta in radians. Therefore to convert radians to degrees multiply by 180/pi so your angle is 0.01X180/3.14159=1.8/3.14159 in degrees, which when multiplied by 60 will equal minutes of arc. This can be done on any calculator, but remember it is only an approximation.
2006-10-09 12:12:02 · answer #1 · answered by Sciencenut 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have a triangle whose base is 0.5 cm and whose altitude is 50 cm. You can do the trig or use the small angle approximation.
2006-10-09 08:04:03 · answer #2 · answered by arbiter007 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋