Raymott, with all due respect, I stand by my statement that 'apparent' and 'obvious' are synonyms.
Yes they are.
Obvious: Synonyms:
apparent, ascertainable, clear-cut,
definite, detectable, discernible, distinguishable, estimable, evident, good-sized,
goodly,
healthy,
large, manifest,
marked,
material, measurable, noticeable, observable,
obvious, perceivable, perceptible, plain, pronounced, recognizable,
sensible,
significant, sizable,
substantial,
tangible, visible
Obvious Synonyms, Obvious Antonyms | Thesaurus.com
The original post did not ask if the two words were 'strict' synonyms. To me, a 'synonym' is a 'synonym' whether it is strict or not.
How about now that the teacher has come back with: "Yeah, both words are completely the same"? (Post #6) Does that change the substance of the original post and the "strictness" with which the claim has been made?
Anyhow, to me the difference is totally goodly and sensible [sic]!