Final answer:
Increasing object-to-collimator distance degrades system spatial resolution, as it can cause photon paths to diverge and increase the spot size on the detector, reducing the system's ability to resolve close-lying structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, increasing the object-to-collimator distance typically degrades the system spatial resolution. Spatial resolution refers to the capacity of an imaging system to resolve and distinguish between two separate structures that are close together. In the context of a collimator-based system, the greater the distance between the object and the collimator, the more chance there is for the paths of the photons to diverge, which increases the spot size on the detector and blurs the edges of the imaged object thus reducing the resolution. Intuitively, this is somewhat akin to how shadows on a wall become less distinct as the distance between the object casting the shadow and the wall increases.
For example, in radiography, increasing the source-to-image distance can decrease the spatial resolution. This means that details of the object being imaged may become less clear and appear more blurry.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is 1) Yes. Increasing the object-to-collimator distance generally degrades the system's spatial resolution.