Final answer:
The question deals with the physics of light and how the human eye resolves two separate points, specifically car headlights, using the Rayleigh criterion informed by properties such as wavelength and pupil diameter.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question investigates the concept of visual acuity and the ability of the human eye to resolve two points of light as separate, which is relevant to understanding when high beam headlights should be used. Using the Rayleigh criterion for diffraction, we can determine the angular resolution limit of the eye, theta, as:
theta = 1.22 * (wavelength / pupil diameter)
Assuming an average wavelength for visible light is 550 nm (which is often used for such calculations since it corresponds to green light, to which our eyes are most sensitive), and given the pupil diameter is 0.40 cm (which we convert to meters by dividing by 100), we can calculate this angle. This angle, in radians, can then be used together with trigonometry to determine the maximum distance at which car headlights, 1.3 m apart, can be resolved as two separate points.