Intereference of light (at least i think it is) and the human eyeball

[kehler]

Homework Statement

A human eyeball has roughly a diameter of 15mm. The diameter of the pupil can be up to roughly 5mm. Do you think that the fact that the light receptors on the retina are spaced by at least 2 micrometers is just a coincidence? Justify your answer.

The Attempt at a Solution

I don't know exactly what the question wants.
I considered the pupil to be a slit, used d sin theta = n lambda for lambda = 400nm (wavelength of violet), and then found that the distance between maxima for violet is 1.2 micrometers. For lambda = 700nm (red light), the distance between maxima is 2.1 micrometres.
I expected both values to be either greater than or less than 2 micrometers. (Then I could make up some crappy explanation about having the distances between maxima for all the colours to be greater/less than 2 micrometers )
But obviously that didn't work for me so I guess that's not the right way to do it. Any ideas how to do this?

 

[alphysicist]

Hi kehler,

I believe this problem is referring to the resolving power of a circular aperture. Your textbook probably has a section or part of a section talking about it.

 

[baba89]

I can provide a response to this question. The spacing of the light receptors on the retina and the size of the human eyeball are not just coincidences. These factors are crucial for the proper functioning of the human eye in detecting and processing light.

The spacing of the light receptors on the retina, known as photoreceptors, is important for two reasons. Firstly, it allows for a larger number of receptors to be present on the retina, increasing the sensitivity and resolution of the eye. Secondly, the spacing ensures that there is minimal overlap between the signals received by adjacent receptors, allowing for a more accurate representation of the image.

The size of the eye and the diameter of the pupil also play important roles in the functioning of the eye. The size of the eye allows for a larger surface area for light to enter and be focused onto the retina. The diameter of the pupil controls the amount of light that enters the eye and is regulated by the iris. This ensures that the amount of light reaching the photoreceptors is optimal for vision.

In terms of the question, the spacing of 2 micrometers between the photoreceptors is not a coincidence. It is based on the wavelength of visible light, which ranges from approximately 400-700 nanometers. This spacing allows for the photoreceptors to effectively capture a wide range of wavelengths, providing a full spectrum of color vision.

In conclusion, the size of the human eyeball and the spacing of the photoreceptors on the retina are not just random occurrences. They are precisely designed to optimize the functionality of the eye in detecting and processing light.