Lab 13 - Reaction Time



Lab 13 - Reaction Time

Introduction:

In this lab you will be measuring the reaction time of the entire class using a meter stick. You will also be designing an experiment to test variables that affect reaction rate, and how they influence the reaction rates.

Your introduction will require a lot of background information on reaction rates, how reactions biologically occur (look up how the nervous system controls reactions). You will also need to look into past studies of reaction rates and studies done seeing how various experimental variables influence reaction time.

Also include information about the physics involved in this experiment.

Materials:

1) Half-meter stick

Procedure:

Part A:

1) The person conducting the experiment should hold the meter stick on the end with the highest number.

2) The test subject will use his dominant hand and open a space of about 5cm on the opposite end of the half-meter stick using only his/her thumb and index finger (remember, do not touch the equipment with your fingers).

3) The experimenter will alert the test subject that within the next 5 seconds the ruler will be dropped.

4) The test subject must stop the ruler, as quickly as they can, by pinching together their thumb and index finger.

5) This process will be repeated 4 times each for EVERY group member.

6) Calculate the reaction time using the formula, solving for t each time.

s = v1t + ½ at2

v1 = 0.0m/s (why?)

7) The average reaction time for each person will be gathered as a class and used to in data tables later.

Part B:

8) Once everyone’s average is recorded your group must design two other trials, each with a different variable. You will be testing the affect of this variable on reaction time.

9) The same basic experiment will be performed but you must implement the variable into the experiment.

Example: Hammer Effect

|Individual |Average Reaction Time |Displacement while being beat |Reaction time while being beat |

| | |with a hammer |with a hammer |

|1 | | | |

|2 | | | |

|3 | | | |

Part C:

10) You must design a survey for your experimental variables. The survey is a single question with many possible multiple choice answers. This question must be something that correlates a variable to reaction time. You may not choose gender, choose something else! You must make sure that the question and choices you offer will not have results where everyone will answer the same – this makes your sample size for the other choices minimal.

Results:

1) Table 1: Data from original reaction time.

Include the members of your group names, displacement of ruler in m for all trials, average displacement of ruler, calculated reaction time.

2) Table 2: Experimental Variable (chosen variable) data.

Table with subject name, control average reaction time (from table 1), average distance meter stick was displaced in experimental condition, and calculated experimental reaction time.

Example: Hammer to hand

|Individual |Average Reaction Time |Displacement while being beat |Reaction time while being beat |

| | |with a hammer |with a hammer |

|1 | | | |

|2 | | | |

|3 | | | |

3) Table 3: Subject name, survey response, average reaction time (from the control data), gender (just in case of bad survey).

4) Bar graph 1: Convert Table 2 into a bar graph. Don’t graph every person’s data individually. This graph will have 2 bars, the class average from the control experiment and the class average with your experimental variable applied.

5) Bar graph 2: Using the categories from your survey graph the average reaction times from the control experiment based on the survey answers. Look up the average reaction times of the all the individuals for a particular survey response and find their average and graph it.

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