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Reply	Thinkig Out Loud says: It is because the length of the arc subtended by a fixed visual angle varies with the radius. Let me explain!!!!(see also this nice link about angle and arcs: http://www.themathpage.com/atrig/arc-length.htm)Consider a pizza that is a perfect circle. A slice of the pizza (a V-shape) has an anlge measure at the center of the "V". The lenght of the crust edge (which is now curved) is the arc - we say the angle is subtended or "stretched under" the arc.Fo the same angle of the V-shape slice, a small pizza (shorter radius) will have a smaller arc length than a large pizza. That is, if you cut the two pizzas to crate the same angled V-slice the length of edge crust (the arc) on the large pizza, which has the larger distance to the crust from its center (the radius), will be larger. The larger the raidus of the circle the larger is the arc subtended by the SAME angle measure.Now imagine if two ants were walking at the crust edge of the small and large pizza slice. They are walking at the same speed. Now which one will appear to finish "crossing" the SAME VIEWING ANGLE. The one on the larger pizza slice naturally. The eye "converts" the "distance" to VIEWING ANGLE. For the same viewing angle the ant on the smaller pizza seems to cover his journey faster than the one on the large pizza slice.Remember this is ONLY AN APPARENT effect. Think about this last statement!!!  (no votes) Tags: technology, transport, planet earth.
	posted on 2008-05-21 19:47:00 | Report abuse

Reply	Anonymous says: While correct, that makes use of concepts a small child probably hasn’t grasped yet. You might tell him that objects closer look bigger than objects far away, so near objects seem to cover more ground than far objects. Which is the exact same thing as the previous post, but in simpler form.  (no votes) Tags: technology, transport, planet earth.
	posted on 2008-05-21 20:59:00 | Report abuse

Reply	Anonymous says: If it were me being asked the question, while agreeing with the answers already given I'd have to go with "Its magic".  (no votes) Tags: technology, transport, planet earth.
	posted on 2008-05-22 11:21:00 | Report abuse

Reply	boris_kolar says: Explain like this:Move two objects, one behind the other, from left to right in front of child's eyes. Your child should observe that event though both objects are moving with the same velocity, the front object will appear to pass the back object.  (no votes) Tags: technology, transport, planet earth.
	posted on 2008-05-22 16:02:00 | Report abuse

Reply	John H says: My (non-scientist!) father's answer, when I asked him the exact same question at more or less the same age, was: "It's all to do with Einstein's theory of relativity".In retrospect, I think that probably caused more confusion than it solved. ;-)  (no votes) Tags: technology, transport, planet earth.
	posted on 2008-05-22 19:25:00 | Report abuse

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