A sector search radius should be equal to what sweep width?

• A. Twice its sweep width
• B. Same as sweep width
• C. Half its sweep width
• D. Three times its sweep width

Answer: (A)

Sweep width is the width of ground effectively scanned during one pass, measured perpendicular to the path. In a sector search, you fan out from the center and make successive passes so their scanned areas overlap enough to avoid gaps. Setting the sector search radius to twice the sweep width provides that necessary overlap along the curved outer edge, ensuring each part of the sector is covered by at least one pass without leaving gaps. If you used a radius equal to the sweep width, gaps could appear between adjacent passes; using a much larger radius increases overlap but wastes time. Therefore, twice the sweep width is the practical rule of thumb that balances complete coverage with efficiency.