🔍 Key Concepts

• Geographic range vs. luminous range of a light • Formula for distance to the horizon based on height in feet or meters • Using the Light List to find the height of Assateague Light above water

💭 Think About

• How do you combine the observer’s height of eye and the light’s height above water to get the maximum visible distance over the earth’s curvature? • Which formula should you use to turn height (in feet or meters) into distance to the horizon in nautical miles? • After you compute that distance, which answer choice is in the same ballpark (reasonable order of magnitude)?

✅ Before You Answer

• From the Light List, verify the height of Assateague Light (in feet or meters) above mean high water. • Use the correct distance-to-horizon formula (e.g., in nautical miles using the square root of height). • Add the distance to the horizon from your eye height and from the light’s height to estimate total geographic range, then compare to the choices.