Question

How many times more light does a 4 meter mirror collect than a 1 meter mirror? Assume both mirrors are circular

Answer 1

The area of the mirror determines how much light it will collect.
The area of a circle is given by
\[A _{circle}=\frac{\pi d ^{2}}{4}\]
So the area is proportional to the diameter squared. So the increase in light that is collected will be
\[\frac{4^{2}}{1^{2}}=?\]

Answer 2

So would it collect 16 times more light than the 1 meter?

Answer 3

Yes, you are correct.

Answer 4

Thank you so much!

Answer 5

You're welcome :)