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The irradiance of light from a point source is 32 W m⁻² at a distance of 4.0 m from the source - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 15 - 2016

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The irradiance of light from a point source is 32 W m⁻² at a distance of 4.0 m from the source. The irradiance of the light at a distance of 16 m from the source is... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:The irradiance of light from a point source is 32 W m⁻² at a distance of 4.0 m from the source - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 15 - 2016

Step 1

Find the relationship between irradiance and distance

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Answer

The irradiance (I) of light from a point source is inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r) from the source. This can be expressed as: Iimesr2=kI imes r^2 = k where k is a constant.

Step 2

Calculate the constant k

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Answer

Using the information provided: At 4.0 m, I = 32 W m⁻²: k=Iimesr2=32imes(4.0)2=32imes16=512k = I imes r^2 = 32 imes (4.0)^2 = 32 imes 16 = 512

Step 3

Calculate the irradiance at 16 m

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Answer

Now, using the constant k to find the irradiance at 16 m: I=kr2=512(16)2=512256=2.0Wm2I = \frac{k}{r^2} = \frac{512}{(16)^2} = \frac{512}{256} = 2.0 W m⁻²

Step 4

Select the correct answer

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Answer

From the calculations, the irradiance at a distance of 16 m is 2.0 W m⁻². Therefore, the correct answer is: C 2.0 W m⁻²

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