Which of the following best describes why radio telescopes are generally much larger in size than telescopes designed to collect visible light?
A)Getting an image of the same angular resolution requires a much larger telescope for radio waves than for visible light.
B)Radio telescopes are designed to collect sound rather than light.
C)It is because radio telescopes are used in the daytime and visible light telescopes are used at night.
D)Objects that emit radio waves are always much larger than objects that emit visible light,and therefore require larger telescopes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Radio waves have much longer wavelengths than visible light. Longer wavelengths have lower frequencies and lower energies. This means that to achieve the same angular resolution (ability to distinguish between two points that are close together) as a visible light telescope, a radio telescope needs to be much larger. This is why radio telescopes are generally much larger in size than telescopes designed to collect visible light.

Which of the Following Best Describes Why Radio Telescopes Are