ery time you go to the eye doctor one of the first things they do is check your visual acuity. Your visual acuity is the sharpness of letters or images at a fixed distance according to a fixed standard.
Let’s break it down in terms that are easier to understand.
We all have heard the term 20/20 but what exactly does it mean.
According to the Snellen chart, 20/20 is the standard for normal vision. The Snellen chart is used in the United States by eye doctors, (optometrists and ophthalmologists), as well as other doctors. There is no such thing as perfect vision. (The only person that has perfect vision is Superman.)
The Snellen chart was developed by Herman Snellen, a Dutch Ophthalmologist, in 1862. The chart is based off of a distance of 20 feet and lines of letters that are a specific size with the largest one on top, gradually getting smaller at the bottom. According to the Snellen chart, 20/20 means you have normal vision at a distance of 20 feet.
This picture might clear that up.
Patient A has 20/70 vision so they are only able to read line 3 on the Snellen chart at 20 feet away. Patient B who has 20/20 vision can read the same line at 70 feet away.
Here is a video that also explains it. What is 20/20 Vision?
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