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Chapter 31: Problem 13

If two communication signals were sent at the same time to the Moon, one via radio waves and one via visible light, which one would arrive at the Moon first?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: Both radio waves and visible light would reach the Moon at the same time, as they travel at the same speed, approximately 1.28 seconds.

Step by step solution

01

Determine the speed of radio waves and visible light

Radio waves and visible light are both part of the electromagnetic spectrum. They travel at the speed of light in a vacuum, which is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (km/s).
02

Calculate the distance to the Moon

The average distance from the Earth to the Moon is 384,400 kilometers.
03

Calculate the time it takes for radio waves and visible light to reach the Moon

Since both radio waves and visible light travel at the speed of light, we can use the formula for time: Time = Distance / Speed In this case, we will use the distance to the Moon and the speed of light: Time = 384,400 km / 299,792 km/s Time ≈ 1.28 seconds
04

Compare the time it takes for radio waves and visible light to reach the Moon

Both radio waves and visible light take approximately 1.28 seconds to reach the Moon, as they both travel at the same speed.
05

Conclusion

Since both radio waves and visible light travel at the same speed, they would arrive at the Moon at the same time if the communication signals were sent simultaneously.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Practically everyone who has studied the electromagnetic spectrum has wondered how the world would appear if we could see over a range of frequencies of the ten octaves over which we can hear rather than the less than one octave over which we can see. (An octave refers to a factor of 2 in frequency.) But this is fundamentally impossible. Why?

A \(5.00-\mathrm{mW}\) laser pointer has a beam diameter of \(2.00 \mathrm{~mm}\) a) What is the root-mean-square value of the electric field in this laser beam? b) Calculate the total electromagnetic energy in \(1.00 \mathrm{~m}\) of this laser beam.

A solar sail is a giant circle (with a radius \(R=10.0 \mathrm{~km}\) ) made of a material that is perfectly reflecting on one side and totally absorbing on the other side. In deep space, away from other sources of light, the cosmic microwave background will provide the primary source of radiation incident on the sail. Assuming that this radiation is that of an ideal black body at \(T=2.725 \mathrm{~K},\) calculate the net force on the sail due to its reflection and absorption.

Electromagnetic waves from a small, isotropic source are not plane waves, which have constant maximum amplitudes. a) How does the maximum amplitude of the electric field of radiation from a small, isotropic source vary with distance from the source? b) Compare this with the electrostatic field of a point charge.

A dipole antenna is located at the origin with its axis along the \(z\) -axis. As electric current oscillates up and down the antenna, polarized electromagnetic radiation travels away from the antenna along the positive \(y\) -axis. What are the possible directions of electric and magnetic fields at point \(A\) on the \(y\) -axis? Explain.
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