Reaction time

Question 1

Method

Answer 1

1)Use your weaker hand for this experiment.
2)Sit down on a chair and place the forearm of your weaker arm across the table with your hand overhanging the edge of the table.
3)Your partner holds a ruler vertically with the bottom end(0cm) between your thumb and first finger.
4)Your partner will hold the ruler and ask to remove your fingers.
5)Your partner will hold the ruler so the zero mark is level with the top of your thumb, telling you to prepare to catch the ruler,
6)Your partner will drop the ruler without telling you,
7)Catch the ruler as quickly as you can when you sense the ruler’s dropping.
8)Then look at the number level with the top of your thumb.
8)Record this in your table, converting each ruler measurement to a reaction time.
9)Repeat the test several times, swapping roles with your partner, but this should be after a condition is changed(include loud music and caffeine in drinks to see if this changes the reaction times).

Question 2

Independent variable

Answer 2

Person doing investigation

Question 3

Control variables

Answer 3

Same type/weight of ruler
Drop the ruler without force each time

Question 4

Best way of measuring reaction time

Answer 4

A computer:
Because it’s more precise, removing human error from measurements, than a ruler dropped method
A computer measures time more accurately than a stopwatch/converting distance you catch the ruler into time

Question 5

How could the ruler-drop method be improved to produce more valid results?

Answer 5

Drop the ruler from the same height each time
Repeat the experiment many times as this experiment is prone to lots of errors and there are many factors that can affect the results