Question

Sally walks into a dark room and notices that she can see specific objects in the room better if she looks slightly to one side of the object rather than directly at it. This is because by looking off to the side, the light falls:

a. on the fovea, which is loaded with light-sensitive cones.
b. on the fovea, which is loaded with light-sensitive rods.
c. next to the fovea and onto light-sensitive cones.
d. next to the fovea and onto light-sensitive rods

Answer 1

Sally can see objects better in a dark room by looking slightly to one side of them because, in low light, the rods in the peripheral vision are more sensitive than the cones in the fovea.

Step-by-step explanation:

When looking at specific objects in a dark room, Sally may find that she can see them better by looking slightly to one side of the object instead of directly at it. This phenomenon occurs because in low light conditions, the rods at the edges of the retina are more sensitive than the cones in the fovea. The fovea is the region in the center of the eye responsible for acute vision and contains a high density of cones. Rods, on the other hand, work better in low light and are located throughout the remainder of the retina. Therefore, by using her peripheral vision, the light falls next to the fovea and onto the light-sensitive rods, allowing Sally to see the objects better.