Sam and Jimmy are both holding the same size basketball in their hands. Sam is directly in front of you. Jimmy is all the way across the basketball court. Which basketball will look larger and why? (Be sure to explain in complete sentences.)

Answer 1

The basketball that Sam is holding will look larger than the one that Jimmy is holding. This is because of the principle of perspective and the effect of distance on perception. When an object is closer to the observer, it appears larger due to the way our eyes and brain interpret visual information. Since Sam is directly in front of you, the basketball in his hands is much nearer, making it appear larger in comparison. In contrast, the basketball that Jimmy holds, being all the way across the court, is farther away, causing it to look smaller. This phenomenon illustrates how distance affects the perceived size of objects.