Equation 3: The Simplified Radar Equation

 

Where:

P_r = power returned to the radar from a target (watts)

C_r = radar constant

L_a = attenuation (signal loss) factor

Z = target reflectivity

R  = target range

This is a simplified form of the Probert-Jones equation. It says that the power returned to the radar equals the radar constant, C_r, times the target reflectivity times L_a, all divided by the target range squared.