Reaction Time

• Reaction time is the time it takes to respond to a stimulus
• Caffine can be used to speed up a person's reaction time
• Method

  • Person should sit with their arm resting on the table
  • Hold a ruler vertically between their thumb and forefinger
  • The 'zero' end should be level with their fingers
  • Let go randomly and measure the distance, this is their reaction time
  • Repeat three times and find a mean distance which the ruler fell
  • Give the person a caffinated drink and wait 10 minutes before repeating the experiment
• Control variables

  • Make sure the same person is being tested each time
  • Use the same had to catch the ruler
  • Ruler should always be dropped from the same height
  • Make sure they haven't consumed any caffine before the experiment
• Reaction time can be recorded with a computer. They give a more precise reaction time as they remove any possibility of human error. They can also give a more accurate measurement as they can record it in milliseconds