One diopter prism ______.

Prepare for the Shopko Optician Certification Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Enhance your knowledge with detailed explanations and get ready to excel in your exam!

Multiple Choice

One diopter prism ______.

Explanation:
A prism’s power in diopters tells you how much it deflects light over a given distance. By definition, a 1 diopter prism shifts a light ray by 1 centimeter after the ray travels 1 meter. Using the small-angle idea that tan(theta) ≈ theta for tiny angles, that 1 cm shift at 1 meter corresponds to a deviation angle of about 0.01 radians, which is what a 1 diopter prism produces. So the statement that a one-diopter prism deviates a ray by 1 cm at a distance of 1 meter is the correct description. If the displacement were 1 cm at 2 meters, the power would be about 0.5 diopters; if it were 2 cm at 1 meter, about 2 diopters; and if it were 1 mm at 1 meter, about 0.1 diopter.

A prism’s power in diopters tells you how much it deflects light over a given distance. By definition, a 1 diopter prism shifts a light ray by 1 centimeter after the ray travels 1 meter. Using the small-angle idea that tan(theta) ≈ theta for tiny angles, that 1 cm shift at 1 meter corresponds to a deviation angle of about 0.01 radians, which is what a 1 diopter prism produces. So the statement that a one-diopter prism deviates a ray by 1 cm at a distance of 1 meter is the correct description.

If the displacement were 1 cm at 2 meters, the power would be about 0.5 diopters; if it were 2 cm at 1 meter, about 2 diopters; and if it were 1 mm at 1 meter, about 0.1 diopter.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy