Floaters. The floaters you see when viewing a bright, | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Fundamentals of Physics

Chapter 36 Problem 30

Question

Floaters. The floaters you see when viewing a bright, featureless background are diffraction patterns of defects in the vitreous humor that fills most of your eye. Sighting through a pinhole sharpens the diffraction pattern. If you also view a small circular dot, you can approximate the defects size. Assume that the defect diffracts light as a circular aperture does. Adjust the dots distance L from your eye (or eye lens) until the dot and the circle of the first minimum in the diffraction pattern appear to have the same size in your view. That is, until they have the same diameter D# on the retina at distance L# ! 2.0 cm from the front of the eye, as suggested in Fig. 36-42a, where the angles on the two sides of the eye lens are equal. Assume that the wavelength of visible light is l ! 550 nm. If the dot has diameter D ! 2.0 mm and is distance L 45.0 cm from the eye and the defect is x 6.0 mm in front of the retina (Fig. 36-42b), what is the diameter of the defect? ! ! (a) (b) D' D' D Eye Circular lens dot Retina Retina L L' x Defect __1 2 D' __1 2 Figure 36-42 30

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The first step in solving 36 problem number 30 trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: Floaters. The floaters you see when viewing a bright, featureless background are diffraction patterns of defects in the vitreous humor that fills most of your eye. Sighting through a pinhole sharpens the diffraction pattern. If you also view a small circular dot, you can approximate the defects size. Assume that the defect diffracts light as a circular aperture does. Adjust the dots distance L from your eye (or eye lens) until the dot and the circle of the first minimum in the diffraction pattern appear to have the same size in your view. That is, until they have the same diameter D# on the retina at distance L# ! 2.0 cm from the front of the eye, as suggested in Fig. 36-42a, where the angles on the two sides of the eye lens are equal. Assume that the wavelength of visible light is l ! 550 nm. If the dot has diameter D ! 2.0 mm and is distance L 45.0 cm from the eye and the defect is x 6.0 mm in front of the retina (Fig. 36-42b), what is the diameter of the defect? ! ! (a) (b) D' D' D Eye Circular lens dot Retina Retina L L' x Defect __1 2 D' __1 2 Figure 36-42 30
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Title Fundamentals of Physics 10 
Author David Halliday; Robert Resnick; Jearl Walker
ISBN 9781118230725

Floaters. The floaters you see when viewing a bright,

Chapter 36 textbook questions

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