If the elapsed time for a RADAR echo is 62 microseconds, what is the distance to the object in nautical miles?

To determine the distance to an object using the elapsed time for a RADAR echo, you need to consider the speed of radio waves, which travel at the speed of light. The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second, but when measured in nautical miles, it’s about 162,000 nautical miles per second.

The RADAR signal travels to the object and back, so the total distance covered is twice the distance to the object. To calculate the distance based on the elapsed time, you would use the formula:

Distance = (Speed × Time) / 2

First, convert the elapsed time from microseconds to seconds. There are 1,000,000 microseconds in one second, so:

62 microseconds = 62 / 1,000,000 seconds = 0.000062 seconds.

Now, substituting the values into the distance formula:

Distance = (162,000 nautical miles/second × 0.000062 seconds) / 2

Calculating this gives:

Distance = (10.044 nautical miles) / 2 = 5.022 nautical miles.

Rounding this value confirms that it approximates to 5 nautical miles, which is why the correct