Measuring Your Reaction Time

Every student must measure their reaction time by completing BOTH sections of this worksheet, where each part uses a different type of method.

I) SECTION ONE: "Ruler drop and catch method"

Materials: plastic or paper ruler

Introduction: Your reaction time affects your performance in many everyday activities - from driving a car to playing sports to catching something that you drop. Reaction time is the amount of time between an event and your response to it. You will need to work with one other person during this lab.

Procedure:
1. One person will hold a meter stick vertically between the thumb and index finger of the other person's open hand. The ruler should be held so that the zero mark is between your fingers and the 1 cm mark is above it.

2. The person catching the ruler should not be touching the ruler and their catching hand should not be moving in any way. The forearm of the person waiting to catch the ruler should be resting on the edge of the table.

3. Without warning release the ruler, so that it falls between the thumb and finger of the person catching the ruler.

4. The person catching should catch the ruler as quickly as possible.

5. Record the distance the ruler has fallen through the catcher's fingers.

6. Perform at least 10 trials. Remember to convert centimeters to meters (1 m = 100 cm). So, divide your centimeter measurements by 100 to get meters (m).

1. In the table below, record the drop distances Δx.

2. For each value in the first column, calculate Δt using the equation above. Enter the values in the second column.

3. Calculate your average reaction time and enter this in the last line.

II. SECTION 2: (Use a web application/game to measure reaction time again with another method. You must complete this section as well as the above section.)

1. Use a web application game (like one listed below or other you may find) that allows you to test your reaction time:

From the web application you choose to use, find your average reaction time the web-based "game" reports.

Questions: (Be very descriptive and support with data/evidence when necessary.)

1. What was your average reaction time, considering both methods above:

Reaction time from SECTION 1 above:______________

Reaction time from SECTION 2 above:______________

Take the average of these TWO reactions times:_____________

2. What kinds of factors affect your reaction time?

3. Are your reaction times consistent while using each method? Are the values from the two different methods consistent with each other? Explain what could account for these discrepancies or errors in your data.