Question 11: Visual Perception of Motion
This question relates observed visual phenomena while travelling to the physiological properties of the eye.
Analysis
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(a) Nearby objects appear moving past faster than distant objects:
The perception of motion speed is largely determined by the angular velocity ($\omega = v/r$) of the object across our field of view. For nearby objects ($r$ is small), the angular displacement changes rapidly. Our eyes detect this rapid change in the direction of incoming light.
Matching: This corresponds to (p) “Human eye senses the direction from which light enters it.” -
(b) Extremely distant objects appear moving along with us:
For very distant objects (like the moon or distant mountains), the distance $r$ is very large, making the angular velocity $\omega \approx 0$.- The direction of light from the object hardly changes over time, so the eye perceives it as stationary relative to the frame of the vehicle (it “moves with us”). This links to (p).
- Additionally, if the angular displacement over a short time is smaller than the eye’s resolution limit (approx. 1 arcminute), the motion cannot be resolved against the background. This links to (q).
Correct Matches:
(a) $\rightarrow$ (p)
(b) $\rightarrow$ (p) and (q)
(a) $\rightarrow$ (p)
(b) $\rightarrow$ (p) and (q)