Chapter 26, Problem 45P

Resolution of the eye, I. Even if the lenses of our eyes functioned perfectly, our vision would still be limited due to diffraction of light at the pupil. Using Rayleigh’s criterion, what is the smallest separation between two pointlike objects that a person could clearly resolve at his near point of 25.0 cm with a pupil diameter of 2.00 mm? Assume that the light has a wavelength of 550 nm. (To get a reasonable estimate without having to go through complicated calculations, we'll ignore the effect of the fluid in the eye ) Based on your answer, does it seem that diffraction plays a significant role in limiting our visual acuity?