The Light List shows that a navigational...

Study

Question 1 of 2066636ee928f7522a1c519aac

The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 22 miles and a height above water of 48 feet (14.6 meters). Your height of eye is 35 feet (10.7 meters) and the visibility is 20.0 miles. At what approximate range will you first sight the light?

Back

Question 1 of 20

66636ee928f7522a1c519aac

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts!

If the question has a related picture, it will appear here.

🔍 Key Concepts

• Geographic range vs. luminous (nominal) range of a light • How to compute distance to the horizon from height of eye and light height • Effect of meteorological visibility compared to nominal range

💭 Think About

• First, think about whether you are limited by the light’s brightness (nominal range) or by the curvature of the Earth (geographic range) in this situation. • Use the standard horizon-distance formula separately for the light’s height and your height of eye, then combine those distances to get the maximum geographic range. • Compare the geographic range you compute with both the nominal range and the stated visibility to decide which value actually limits when you can first see the light.

✅ Before You Answer

• Be sure you are using nautical miles, not statute miles, when you apply the horizon formula. • Double-check that you add the observer’s distance to the horizon and the light’s distance to the horizon to get total geographic range. • Before picking an answer, confirm which is smallest: geographic range, nominal range (22 nm), or meteorological visibility (20 nm)—the smallest one will limit your sighting distance.

👋 Hi! I'm Genie, your AI study assistant. How can I help you with this question?

Quick actions

— No credit card needed