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### College Physics (Urone)

Book edition 1st Edition
Author(s) Paul Peter Urone
Pages 1272 pages
ISBN 9781938168000

# A radar used to detect the presence of aircraft receives a pulse that has reflected off an object $6×{10}^{-5}s$after it was transmitted. What is the distance from the radar station to the reflecting object?

The distance of the radar station to the reflecting object is 9 km.

See the step by step solution

## Step 1: Definition of Radar distance

Radar is a technique for determining the distance from a solid or liquid. Radar distance sensors are measurement devices that send and receive high-frequency radio waves (microwaves) to determine the distance to a liquid-based substance's surface.

## Step 2: Given information and Formula to used

The time duration in the transmission and receiving of the pulse is $t=6×{10}^{-5}s$$t=6×{10}^{-5}s$

The speed of light is $c=3×{10}^{8}m/s$

The distance of the radar station to the reflecting object can be expressed as,

$d=\frac{ct}{2}$ …………………..(1)

## Step 3: Determine the distance of the radar station to the reflecting object.

Substitute the given data in the equation (1), such that,

$d=\frac{\left(3×{10}^{8}m/s\right)×\left(6×{10}^{-5}s\right)}{2}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=9000m\left(\frac{1km}{1000m}\right)\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=9km$

Therefore, the distance of the radar station to the reflecting object is 9km .