During the Battle of Bunker Hill, it is commonly thought that the commanders gav
ID: 1604691 • Letter: D
Question
During the Battle of Bunker Hill, it is commonly thought that the commanders gave the order "Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes!" to make sure the British troops were close enough that a hit was a certainty. Randomized variables s = 3.3 cm D =5.3 mm If take your commander's instructions literally and don't fire until the whites of the enemy's eyes are just resolvable by your pupil, how far away (in meters) are they when you open fire? Assume your target has an eye which is 3.3 cm across, the diameter of your pupil is 5.3 mm, and you are observing at a wavelength of 555 nm.Explanation / Answer
from resolving power expression
s/R = 1.22*lambda/D
lambda = wavelength = 555*10^-9 m
D = diameter of the pupil
s = seperation = 3.3 cm = 0.033 m
R = ?
R = sD/(1.22*lambda)
R = 0.033*5.3*10^-3 /(1.22*555*10^-9)
R = 258.3 m <<<<<-----------answer