Reaction Time

• The method for the practical requires people to work together, with person 1 and person 2 measuring the reaction time of person 1 first.
• Person 1 sits on a stool with a good upright posture and places the form of their dominant arm across the table with their hand overhanging the edge.
• Person 2 holds a ruler vertically, with the zero centimeter mark between person one's thumb and first finger.
• Person 2 then tells person one to prepare to catch the ruler.
• Person 2 drops the ruler at a random time, and person one has to catch the ruler with the thumb and first finger as quickly as possible.
• Person 2 records the measurement on the ruler that's level with the top of person one's thumb.
• Person one has a short rest, and the test is repeated several times and a mean is calculated from these experiments.
• The results can be converted to reaction time using a conversion table.
• In the experiment, the independent variable is the person having the reaction time tested, and the dependent variable is the one that's measured for each change in the independent variable.
• The control variables in the experiment are the stove working distance between the thumb and the first finger, the measurement of the ruler at the top of the thumb, and the conditions in the room.
• The independent variables that can be investigated in the experiment include practice, hand catching the ruler, and the effect of certain chemicals such as caffeine.
• Practice in the experiment can be investigated by having one person catch the ruler a large number of times to see if the reaction time changes depending on the number of tries.
• The reaction time may depend on the hand catching the ruler, so the experiment can be carried out with the dominant arm and then with the non-dominant hand of the same person.
• Certain chemicals, such as caffeine, can affect reaction time, so the test subject runs a measured amount of Cola half an hour before the experiment and then the reaction time is compared with their normal reaction time.
• The experiment needs to be carried out in a lab where hazardous chemicals are not normally used.