Question

Two students, Student 1 and Student 2, did the same experiment simultaneously to measure parallax. Student 2's eyes are farther apart than Student 1's eyes. The steps of the experiment are listed below.

1. Hold the thumb out at arm's length.
2. Look at the thumb and alternately open and close each eye.
3. Estimate the distance by which the thumb appears to move with respect to background objects.

Based on the experiment, what would the students most likely conclude about the parallax method of measurement of star distances?

a. both the parallax measurements should be taken at the same time
b. parallax shift remains the same when measured by different instruments
c. the shift in parallax while measuring star distances depends on the distance between the two points of observation
d. parallax would be most effective in measuring distances to stars which are more than a billion light years away from Earth

Answer 1

C. the shift in parallax while measuring star distances depends on the distance between the two points of observation

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

c. the shift in parallax while measuring star distances depends on the distance between the two points of observation

The distance between the points of observation has a significant impact on the shift in parallax. Imagine if you were an alien, and your eyes were several inches or even a foot apart. The shift in parallax that your thumb experienced during the experiment would be profoundly different compared to your human classmates. This consideration, the distance between the points of observation, is very important in parallax measurements.