Page 188 - Modern Optical Engineering The Design of Optical Systems

Characteristics of the Human Eye 171

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Experiments
Here are a few experiments which can demonstrate some of the
characteristics of your eyes.
1. Usually one eye is dominant. For most (but not all) of us it’s the
right eye. Extend your arm and point your finger at an object, so
that the finger is aligned with the object. Cover or close one eye at
a time and note which eye shows the alignment, and which eye
shows the finger misaligned. The aligned eye is the dominant one.
2. You can demonstrate the “blind spot” in the retina where the nerve
fibers and vessels exit the eye. Cover or close your left eye. Stare
at the O below. Adjust the distance between the page and your
eye until the X diappears. The X is now on the blind spot. If your
left eye is dominant, stare at the X. Although it’s not easy, you can
demonstrate this without the X and O. Stare straight ahead with
your left eye covered and move your finger off to the right. When
you find the right location, your finger tip will disappear.
O X
3. Measure the space between the O and the X and the distance from
your eye to the page. Calculate the distance at the retina between
the blind spot and the fovea.
4. This one is difficult. Cover one eye and stare at a single letter in a
printed page. Without allowing your gaze to wander, consider the
definition of the letters around the one at which you are staring.
This illustrates that the field over which you see most distinctly is