On a night patrol with his platoon, Charles has been ordered to watch a house through night vision goggles and notify his commander when the front door opens. Suddenly his night vision goggles malfunction. Until he can figure out how to readjust them, he will see the door opening best if he
A) continues to look straight ahead at the door, focusing light on his foveas.
B) continues to look straight ahead at the door to use his scotopic vision.
C) focuses on a point to the left or right of the door in order to use his scotopic vision.
D) focuses on a point to the left or right of the door in order to use his photopic vision.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Focusing on a point to the left or right of the door would activate the rods in the peripheral retina, which are responsible for scotopic vision (vision in low light conditions). This would be the best way for Charles to see the door opening without his night vision goggles. Looking straight ahead with either foveal or scotopic vision would not be as effective for detecting subtle movements like the opening of a door. Focusing on a point to the left or right with photopic vision (vision in bright light) would also not be as effective because it would not activate the rods, which are more sensitive to low light.

On a Night Patrol with His Platoon, Charles Has Been