Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-2-paper-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017/10/d/solution
Past exam of the physics 2 paper of the University of Oxford 2017 10 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
A feature of transverse size at height subtendsChoose a representative visible wavelength . For an unobstructed circular mirror, the first Airy disk minimum gives , soUsing the single-slit scaling alone would give ; it gives the same metre-scale estimate but omits the circular-aperture factor. Choosing visible wavelengths between and changes the circular-aperture estimate to roughly –. These are diffraction-only estimates, not a claim that resolving one stroke guarantees reading arbitrary text with limited contrast or noise.
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