Which statement about radiotelescopes is incorrect?

The statement that radiotelescopes require precision similar to optical telescopes is incorrect. Radiotelescopes operate using radio waves, which have much longer wavelengths compared to visible light used by optical telescopes. This difference in wavelength means that the required precision for constructing and operating radiotelescopes is fundamentally different.

Optical telescopes need to have high precision to minimize the effects of light diffraction and to gather clear images of celestial objects. However, due to the longer wavelengths of radio waves, radiotelescopes can be built larger and do not need the same level of precision as optical telescopes. Instead, they rely on large collecting areas to gather weak radio signals. Therefore, while both types of telescopes require careful design and construction, the nature of the wavelengths they deal with leads to different requirements in precision.

Understanding this context makes it clear why the precision requirement for radiotelescopes does not match that of optical telescopes, leading to the conclusion that the first statement is indeed incorrect.