Question 792Navigation General70% to pass
Because of the reflecting properties of a sextant, if the sextant altitude reads 60° on the limb, the actual arc of the limb from 0° to the 60° reading is _______________.
AI Explanation
The correct answer is B) 30°.
The key concept here is that a sextant is a reflecting instrument, which means that the angle shown on the limb is actually twice the actual angle between the observed object and the horizon. So, if the sextant reads 60° on the limb, the actual arc of the limb from 0° to the 60° reading is 30°, since the sextant is measuring an angle that is twice the actual angle.
The other options are incorrect because they do not account for the doubling effect of the sextant's reflecting properties. For example, option D) 60° would be the actual angle, not the arc of the limb.
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