If a target is 5 miles away, how long does it take for the RADAR echo to be received back at the antenna?
• Speed of radio waves / radar pulses is the same as the speed of light (approximately 162,000 nautical miles per second) • Two‑way travel of the radar pulse (out to the target AND back) • Converting seconds to microseconds (1 microsecond = 1×10^-6 seconds)
• First, determine how long it takes a radar pulse to travel 5 nautical miles ONE WAY using speed = distance / time. • Then remember the pulse must travel to the target AND back, so double the one‑way distance before calculating the total time. • After finding the time in seconds, convert it carefully into microseconds and compare with the choices.
• Be sure you used 10 nautical miles as the total path (out and back), not just 5. • Verify you are using the correct approximate speed of radar energy in nautical miles per second before calculating. • Double‑check your seconds to microseconds conversion and make sure the magnitude (tens vs hundreds of microseconds) makes sense.
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