Activity 2.4.

2: Student Response Sheet

VISUAL PERCEPTION
Read the background information at each station and complete the activity.
Collect data and answer questions on the sheet below.

ACTIVITY 1: Visual Acuity

3. Your friend swears that no one can possibly have better than 20/20 vision. Use what
you have learned about the Snellen eye examination chart and what numbers such as
20/20 really mean to set him/her straight.

Visual Acuity is the amount of detail an eye can distinguish. The first number
represents the distance from the subject to the chart in feet. The first 20 is saying the
subject is 20 feet from the Snellen Chart. The second number is the distance in feet
that a normal eye can see as clearly as the subject can at that distance. The second
number represents the average eye sight. This subject can see 20 feet what the
average person can see from 20 feet. A person can have better than 20/20. They go
have 20/15 which means they can see from 20 feet away what a normal person would
have to move up 5 feet to see.

ACTIVITY 2: Astigmatism and Blind Spot

7. Explain what is happening in the eye to cause astigmatism. How does this impact
how you see?

Astigmatism is a condition in which the cornea or the lens is irregularly shaped. This
asymmetry causes incoming light rays to refract and converge improperly. Therefore,
the light rays do not focus at a specific point on the retina. This results in blurred or
distorted images.

8. List at least two circumstances in which it would be important to be aware of your

blind spots.
-Driving and Sports
ACTIVITY 3: Visual Mapping

2. How does the size of the fovea centralis of your eye compare to that of others in your
group?
Answer varies

3. Explain the importance of the fovea centralis to your 9-year-old sister.

The fovea centralis is located in the back of the eye (retina). The fovea is in charge of
sharp central vison which is necessary for us to do certain activities. Such as reading
and driving.

ACTIVITY 4: Color Vision

4. Given that the previous question asks about family members and color perception
deficiency, what can you infer about the development of this condition?

Colorblindness is a recessive sex linked trait that is carried on the X chromosome. So if

you have it someone in your family has it as well or is a carrier.

5. Some cities hang their traffic lights from left to right, rather than from top to bottom.
Explain why this might cause a problem for a driver with red-green perception
deficiency.
Individuals with red-green perception deficiency memorize that green is on top and red
is on bottom to avoid accidents. If they travel somewhere where the traffic lights run
horizontally then it will take longer for them to respond or they might get confused
because they have not memorized this. They would have to think about it rather than
respond in a quickly manner which could cause an accident.

6. Explain the specific roles of rods and cones in the eye.

Rods function in dim light and perceive shades of gray. Cones function in bright light
and provide sharp, colorful daylight images.
7. If we have three different types of cones – red cones, blue cones, and green cones –
how do we see such a wide range of colors?
Different types of cones function together to interpret colors other than red, green, and
blue.

ACTIVITY 5: Depth Perception

2. Which background provided you with the best depth perception? Why do you think
this is the case?
Varies

3. List several careers or activities in which depth perception plays an important role.
Professional sports- paying attention to certain objects coming towards you.
Any career that has to do with driving. Watching incoming traffic.

4. Why might driving be dangerous for someone with poor depth perception?
They would not know the distance between themselves and other cars. They may not
stop in time/stop to early and get into an accident.

ACTIVITY 6: Accommodation
1. When looking at the “E” on your finger, was the “E” on the chart blurry or in
focus?
blurry

2. When looking at the “E” on the chart, was the “E” on your finger blurry or in
focus?
blurry

3. What happened when you closed and opened your right eye?
The finger was right beside the chart and the chart was clearer.

4. What happened when you closed and opened your left eye?
The finger moved further to the left and the chart was clearer.

5. Judging from your results, do you think you are emmetropic, myopic, or
hyperopic? Explain.
Varies
 6. What is accommodation in the eye? How are muscles involved in this process?
Accommodation is the ability of the eye to shift focus between objects at different
distances, the lens of the eye actually changes shape. Ciliary muscles around the lens
will contract and relax to change the shape of the lens. To focus on nearby objects the
muscles contract and make the lens rounder and thicker. When focusing on a distant
object the muscle relax and the lens flattens.

ACTIVITY 8: Peripheral Vision

3. Which did you see better using your peripheral vision: black and white or color?
Varies

4. Using rods and cones in your answer, explain your answer to Question 3.
The black and white cards should have been easier to see. There are more rods in
your peripheral field of view than cones. There should have been a higher score for
black and white then red and blue.

5. List some situations where you would most likely rely on your peripheral vision.
Driving, sports, lifeguarding, etc.

ACTIVITY 9: Afterimages
1. What afterimage did you see after looking at the red vinyl? What afterimage did
you see after looking at the green vinyl?
Red showed a blue/green image. Green- showed a purple image.

2. Explain what happens in the eye to cause an afterimage.

When an object is observed closely for a long time, the light stimulating the retina
eventually causes the cones in that area to become fatigued, desensitizing that part of
the retina. After looking away from the image, the less-stimulated cones in the affected
area, which are not fatigued, still function.

3. In the space below, draw in color the afterimage of one of the King cards from
the deck of illusion cards. Why did you see the images in the colors that you
saw?
The colors perceived are the less-stimulated cones in the affected area.
ACTIVITY 10: Illusions
1. For each of the Jacks, explain why the image that you see is impossible.

Hearts: There is no first step. All the steps are the same from each angle.

Diamonds: Depending on the angle you look at it, the holes could be on top or the
inside. The way the picture is drawn it appears to be both which is impossible.

Clubs: It looks as though the middle peg just came out of nowhere. It also looks like
it could be connected to the bottom.

Spades: It is inside on one side and outside on the other. Again an impossible
drawing.

2. The Diamonds cards 2-10 involve perception. Look at the 3 of Diamonds card. All
three figures are the same height. Explain how the illusion of varying heights is
created.
They created this illusion with depth perception. All are the same height but some
are further back than others making appear as bigger.

3. The Clubs cards 2-10 test your ability to judge sizes and shapes. Look at the 9 of
Clubs card. Although the two center circles are the same size, the one
surrounded by smaller circles appears much larger. Why do you think this
occurs?
The shapes/sizes around the inner circle affects the size of it. Although they are the
same, since the one circle has smaller circles around it, it appears much bigger.

4. The Spades cards 2-10 illustrate illusions of movement and the perception of
movement. Look at the Spades cards 4 and 5. Place the cards side by side.
Describe what you see.
The card you focus on moves.

Now move one of the cards while keeping the other card still. What do you see?
Explain your findings.
The spokes on the card rotate

Now, move the cards in the opposite directions. What do you see?
The spokes following the moving card
ACTIVITY 11: Optics of the Human Eye
1. What do you notice about the movement of your hand when you view it on the
retinal screen?
The hand moves in the opposite direction on the retina. Hands goes up it looks like
it is going down on the retina.

2. Is the image of the picture you drew inverted? Turn the picture upside down. How
does the image look now?
Yes the picture is inverted. When the picture is upside down it is right side up on the
retina.

3. Since the image on the retina is inverted, why don’t we see things upside down?
The brain corrects the image to be right side up.

4. What structure in the eye does the water represent? Explain the function of this
liquid.
The water represents vitreous humor. This gives the eyeball its shape.

5. Describe what needed to occur for the distant object to be in focus. How does
this relate to what actually happens in the human eye?
The retina had to move forward in order to see the image. In our eyes the ciliary
muscles around the lens will contract and relax to change the shape of the lens to
focus on distant or nearby objects.

6. What happened to the image when you placed the retina in the FAR slot? What
does a far-sighted person see when he/she looks at near objects?
The image became blurry in the far slot. A far sighted person will see blurry images
up close.

7. What happens to the clarity of the image when you decrease the pupil size? How
does this relate to squinting?
When the pupil size decreased it let in less light and made the image clearer. When
you squint you let in less light and the image will become clearer.

8. Does a far-sighted person have trouble seeing distant objects? Why was it not
necessary to change the lens to look far away?
A far-sighted person does not have trouble seeing distant objects. We did not need
to change the lens because it was already clear.

9. What is the focal length of lens that corrects hyperopia? +400 mm

10. To correct hyperopia, is it necessary to move the image formed by the eye
closer or farther away from the eye’s lens system? Does this require a
convergent or divergent lens? NOTE: Information about lenses is found on the
station instructions, but you may do some Internet research to help you answer
Questions 11 and 12.
You want to move the object further away so the farsighted person can see it. To
correct hyperopia you need a converging lens. The focal length is passed the retina
so we want the rays to all hit at a closer focal point (on the retina)

11. Are the surfaces of the corrective lens that you used on the eye model concave
and convex? Explain.
A convex lens focuses the light in addition to the natural lens and makes the image
focus exactly on the retina.

12. What happens to the image when you move the screen to the NEAR position?
This is what a nearsighted person sees when looking at a near object.
The image is clear and easy to see.

13. What happens to the image when you focus the eye on a distant object? This is
what a nearsighted person sees when they look at a distant object.
The object becomes blurry when looking at a distant object.

14. What is the focal length of a lens that corrects myopia? -1000 mm

15. To correct myopia, is it necessary to move the image formed by the eye closer or
farther away from the eye’s lens system? Does this require a convergent or
divergent lens?
To correct myopia you want to move the lens up closer. This requires a divergent
lens. The focal point is in front of the retina. In order to extend the focal point when
needs rays to come in and spread out which occurs in a divergent lens.

16. Are the surfaces of the corrective lens that you used on the eye model concave
and convex? Explain.
Concave lenses spread the light out before it reaches the convex lens in the eye,
therefore letting the image focus directly on the retina.