Coast Guard Exams
Question 416Navigation General70% to pass

The Light List indicates that a light has a nominal range of 14 miles and is 42 feet (12.7 m) high. If the visibility is 16 miles and your height of eye is 20 feet (6.1 m), at which approximate distance will you sight the light?

AI Explanation
The correct answer is D) 12.8 miles. The explanation is as follows: 1) The correct answer is D) 12.8 miles. This is calculated using the formula for the geographic range of a light, which is: Distance (in nautical miles) = 2.2 x square root of the height of the light (in feet) + 2.2 x square root of the height of eye (in feet). 2) Plugging in the given values, the calculation is: 2.2 x square root of 42 + 2.2 x square root of 20 = 12.8 miles. 3) The other options are incorrect because they do not accurately apply the formula for calculating the geographic range of a light based on the provided information.

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