Physical

Science L3
BLOCK NAMES (by-pair activity)

GROUP # DATE

Investigating your Sense of Sight

INTRODUCTION
Most people aren’t aware that each of their eyes has a blind spot. This is because they are not normally
aware of it. In this activity, the students will use a very simple method to find their blind spot. Once they have
seen that there really is a blind spot, they will learn why it is there.

EQUIPMENT
 Black pen or marker, Ruler,
 Blank white paper (half sheet of A4)

PROCEDURES
Part A. Demonstrating the presence of Blind Spot
1. Fold the paper in half along the short edge and draw a black
cross and a solid black circle as illustrated. The circle and
cross should be about 1cm wide and roughly 7cm apart.
2. Hold the paper at eye level an arm’s length away. Hold the
paper at the end of the ruler so that the cross is on the right-hand side.
3. Keep your right eye closed or covered and look at the paper with your left eye.
4. Look directly at the cross with your left eye and slowly move the paper towards your face. Take notice of
what happens to the circle as you do this, but keep looking directly at the cross.
5. Write your observation.
6. Repeat procedures 2-4 but this time close your left eye and look directly at the circle with your right eye?
Do you have the same observation?
7. Once you have found your left eye’s blind spot, repeat the activity for your right eye. Cover your left eye
and rotate the paper so the cross is now on the left-hand side.
8. Record your observation/s.

Part B. Demonstrating the presence of Blind Spot

9. Draw a line straight through the cross and the circle as
illustrated.
10. Repeat activity part A.

Part C. Approximate size of the Blind Spot

11. Make a cross on the left edge of a bond paper. Post the bond paper on the wall at eye level. The paper
should be 25 cm (250 mm) away from your eye. This will be the distance D.
 12. Close your left eye and look directly at the cross with your right eye. Move the pen on the paper until the
point of the pen disappears in your blind spot. Mark it as point A.
13. Continue to move the pen until the pen point reappears. Mark the place where it reappears as point B. this
distance will be the length of the blind spot d on the paper.
14. Calculate the approximate size of your blind spot in millimeter (mm). The simple calculation is given by
𝒔 𝒅
the equation 𝟐𝟎 𝒎𝒎 = 𝑫 , where s is approximate diameter of your blind spot in the retina. 20 mm is the
size of the eyeball.
15. Record your data
16. Repeat procedures 11-13 using the other side of the bond paper and placing the cross on the right edge of
the bond paper to determine the blind spot of the left eye.
17. Record your data.

DATA AND OBSERVATIONS

Part A. Demonstrating the presence of Blind Spot
Left eye observation of the cross:

Do you have the same observation?

Right eye observation of the cross:

Part B. Demonstrating the presence of Blind Spot

Observation:

Part C. Approximate size of the Blind Spot (name: )

D d s
Left Eye
Right Eye
Part C. Approximate size of the Blind Spot (name: )
D d s
Left Eye
Right Eye

QUESTION FOR ANALYSIS

Explain the presence of Blinds spot.

References:
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