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The wings of tiger beetles (Fig 37-36) are colored by interference due to thin c

ID: 1619695 • Letter: T

Question

The wings of tiger beetles (Fig 37-36) are colored by interference due to thin cuticle-like layers. In addition, these layers are arranged in patches that are 62 mu m across and produce different colors. The color you see is a pointillistic mixture of thin-film interference colors that varies with perspective. Approximately what viewing distance from a wing puts you at the limit of resolving the different colored patches according to Rayleigh's criterion? use 542 nm as the wavelength of light and 3.00 mm as the diameter of your pupil. cm

Explanation / Answer


D = 62 um
Lambda = 542 nm
d = 3 mm

L = Dd/1.22*lambda

=> L = ((62*10^-6)*(3*10^-3))/(1.22*542*10^-9)

=> L= 0.281 m or 28.1 cm