Professional Documents
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Speed, Frequency and Wavelength
Example
A ray of green light has a wavelength of 540nm in a vacuum. Find its
frequency.
Speed, Frequency and Wavelength
Example
A ray of green light has a wavelength of 540nm in a vacuum. Find its
frequency.
Hz f
Hz f
f
c
f
f c
m nm
14
15
7
8
7
10 56 . 5
10 5556 . 0
10 40 . 5
10 3
10 40 . 5 540
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Application: LADS
LADS (Laser Airborne Depth Sounder) is a system that uses an aircraft to fly
over a body of water to automatically measure the depth of the water.
The LADS system works by emitting a
laser at the water. When the laser hits
the water, it is partially reflected and
transmitted. The reflected laser the
returns to the plane. The transmitted
laser continues through and is reflected
of the bottom of the water and back up
to the plane. Knowing the speed of light
in water, the time delay between the
reflected and transmitted ray can be
used to determine the depth.
Application: LADS
The extra distance travelled by the second pulse (transmitted ray) is to the
bottom of the water and back, i.e., twice the depth of the water. Therefore the
depth of the water is half of the extra distance travelled.
Application: LADS
Example
An aircraft carrying a LADS system is flying horizontally above a lake. The
laser pulses are reflected of the surface of the water and of the bottom of the
lake return to the aircraft 3.33s and 3.55s after being emitted. If the speed
of light in fresh water is 2.25 x 10
8
ms
-1
, calculate the depth of the water where
the sounding was taken.
Application: LADS
Example
A aircraft carrying a LADS system is flying horizontally above a lake. The
laser pulses are reflected of the surface of the water and of the bottom of the
lake return to the aircraft 3.33s and 3.55s after being emitted. If the speed
of light in fresh water is 2.25 x 10
8
ms
-1
, calculate the depth of the water where
the sounding was taken.
m s
s
vt s
s s s s t
5 . 49
10 2 . 2 10 25 . 2
10 2 . 2 22 . 0 33 . 3 55 . 3
7 8
7
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The extra distance travelled by the second pulse is 49.5m, therefore the
depth of the lake is 24.75m deep.
The Necessity To Use A Powerful Laser
Lasers used in the LADS system are 1Megawatt. This is a very powerful
laser! Why?
Suspended sediment in the water can scatter the laser reducing the amount
of energy reaching the bottom.
Water tends to absorb the light that passes through it.
The seabed also absorbs light.
Only a small fraction of the energy actually return to the aircraft as it scans
from side to side and the surface of the water and seabed is quite rough.
The laser used is very power full and could blind someone below, therefore
the laser is spread out over a distance to reduce the risk of injury below.