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Re: [Phys-l] fire starter from the sun



Executive Summary Conclusion:
Michael's analysis is correct. The image diameter in the focal plane is TH*f, where TH is the angle subtended by the sun (.0095 radians) and f is the lens' focal length.

The important quantity (to maximize for igniting the paper) is the energy collected per unit image area.

The energy collected goes as D^2 , where D is the lens' diameter. This energy is spread over an image area which goes as (TH*f)^2.

Thus the energy collected per unit image area goes as (D^2)/ (TH*f)^2. This is equal to 1/(F# * TH)^2, where F# = f/D is the fstop value of the lens.

Since we, confined to Earth, have no control over the value of TH, the quantity to minimize is the fstop value = F# = f/D.

Choose whatever you would like to include among "all things being equal".

Bob Sciamanda
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (Em)
http://www.winbeam.com/~trebor/
trebor@velocity.net