Lesson 3
Module 3-3: Reaction Lab Exercise – A Data Collection Exercise
Reaction Time
Objectives:
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Be familiar with the central tenets of carrying out an experiment to study a quantity or an
effect of interest
Understand the general concept of a data collection process and its relevance in
determining quantities/effects of interest.
Estimate their reaction times
Indentify various activities and substances that can affect reaction times and relate those
to possible consequences
Qualitatively determine why there may be a difference in reaction time
between a
young person and the elderly individual.
Understand the relationship between their reaction time and the distance travelled, if they
were driving at a particular speed
Introduction/Motivation
One of the main motivations for this activity is safety. In this activity students will be able to
quantify their reactions time and relate that to a distance travelled during this reaction time.
From this students will realize that even though their reaction times are small considerable
distances may be travelled during this time given the speed at which one is traveling.
Additionally the students will be able to understand why one’s react ion time may be different
from another and will also learn that certain activities and substances maybe increase which in
turn will lead to unsafe driving practices. In developing signal timing plans the following
activity is geared toward teaching students that despite the time allotted to drivers to move
through an intersection some of the time is wasted in by way of a driver’s reaction time.
Click here for the details and handout regarding the reaction time activity. C:\Reaction Time
Task
Before the Activity
Instructors are invited to construct Table 1 on a common board for all the students to see as this
is where they will be required to input their data after each scenario. It is also from this table that
the instructor will be constructing a graph illustrating the various reaction times of the students.
Table 1:
Scenarios
1
Person 1
2
3
1
Reaction Time Data Grid
Person 2
2
3
1
Person 3
2
3
Scenario Average
1
2
3
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Class Average
The way, in which this experiment is setup, one student will release a ruler for another to catch.
The location of the thumb on the ruler will indicative of a student’s reaction time. The location
of the thumb on the ruler will be associated with a distance and with the use of that distance and
the known acceleration due to gravity the time it took for the ruler to fall to that distance may be
calculated using the equation below.
t
2d
g
From this equation a chart may be created relating distances on the ruler with time / reactions.
For instance, if the measurements on the ruler were calibrated in inches, Table 2 may be used by
the students to estimate their reaction time, using the location of the thumb.
Table 2:
Distance (inches) and Reaction Time (seconds)
Distance on Ruler
(inches)
Reaction Time
(seconds)
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
0.05
0.07
0.09
0.10
0.11
0.12
0.13
0.14
0.15
0.16
0.17
0.18
0.18
0.19
0.20
0.20
0.21
0.22
0.22
0.23
Instructors are invited to create a similar table as well as one that relates the above reactions time
to distances traveled at a few common speeds. See Table 3.
Table 3:
Reaction Time and Distance Traveled
Reaction Time(s)
Distance
covered if
traveling at
60mph (ft)
Distance
covered if
traveling at
30mph (ft)
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
8.80
17.60
26.40
35.20
44.00
52.80
61.60
70.40
79.20
88.00
96.80
105.60
114.40
123.20
132.00
140.80
149.60
158.40
167.20
176.00
184.80
193.60
202.40
4.40
8.80
13.20
17.60
22.00
26.40
30.80
35.20
39.60
44.00
48.40
52.80
57.20
61.60
66.00
70.40
74.80
79.20
83.60
88.00
92.40
96.80
101.20
It is recommended that these tables be created and distributed with the instructions for this
activity.
The Activity
Divide the class into groups of three. Each group will have an experimenter, a subject, and a
note taker. In this activity there will be three scenarios for each individual. As the activity
progress each person take on a particular role at least once. Scenario 1 will be the same for each
person but scenario 2 will be slightly different for each person. The following provides each
person with their role for each experiment.
Note that the following instructions may be given to the experimenter or the note taker in the
group to be read to the subject. And once each individual has gone through every scenario, that
group should proceed to the board and input their reaction times in the table that has been
constructed on the board earlier.
______________________________________________________________________________
PERSON I
You have a ruler labeled in inches; this ruler is your data collection equipment. The experimenter
will hold the ruler just above the subject’s hand then release based on the scenario. The subject
will try to catch the ruler as fast as they can while doing the scenario requirements. Where the
ruler is caught is recorded by the note taker for that scenario.
Scenario 1:
Subject will try to catch the ruler as quickly as possible after its random release by the
experimenter. The time label at the location of the thumb is recorded by note taker and written on
the board under scenario 1.
Scenario 2:
The subject will reply with the code word (different for each person) every time it is said by the
experimenter. The experimenter will read the paragraph and release the ruler at a random time.
PERSON I
code word “boy”
This one week boy summer program will teach boy you about the field of transportation boy
engineering. Transportation is the boy largest industry in the boy world and has a major boy
impact on your life.
Scenario 3:
Similar to scenario 2 but the subject will be asked to do some basic math. (Again different for
each person)
PERSON I
What is __5+7, ____18 – 3, ____4*6, ____ 18/3, ____24 *2,
PERSON II
You have a ruler labeled in inches; this ruler is your data collection equipment. The experimenter
will hold the ruler just above the subject’s hand then release based on the scenario. The subject
will try to catch the ruler as fast as they can while doing the scenario requirements. Where the
ruler is caught is recorded by the note taker for that scenario.
Scenario 1:
Subject will try to catch the ruler as quickly as possible after its random release by the
experimenter. The time label at the location of the thumb is recorded by note taker and written on
the board under scenario 1.
Scenario 2:
The subject will reply with the code word (different for each person) every time it is said by the
experimenter. The experimenter will read the paragraph and release the ruler at a random time.
PERSON II
code word “girl”
In girl this program you will girl use computer girl simulation models to explore how girl
engineering can either help keep the cars girl moving, or clog girl up the system.
Scenario 3:
Similar to scenario 2 but the subject will be asked to do some basic math. (Again different for
each person)
PERSON II
What is __11 + 27, ___32-9, ___48/2, ___4*7, ___16+7
PERSON III
You have a ruler labeled in inches; this ruler is your data collection equipment. The experimenter
will hold the ruler just above the subject’s hand then release based on the scenario. The subject
will try to catch the ruler as fast as they can while doing the scenario requirements. Where the
ruler is caught is recorded by the note taker for that scenario.
Scenario 1:
Subject will try to catch the ruler as quickly as possible after its random release by the
experimenter. The time label at the location of the thumb is recorded by note taker and written on
the board under scenario 1.
Scenario 2:
The subject will reply with the code word (different for each person) every time it is said by the
experimenter. The experimenter will read the paragraph and release the ruler at a random time.
PERSON III code word “dog”
Dog you will also explore dog how dog distractions like cell phones, and dog kids (or friends)
yelling, change dog your reaction dog time, and the reaction times of those dog other drivers on
the road.
Scenario 3:
Similar to scenario 2 but the subject will be asked to do some basic math. (Again different for
each person)
PERSON III
What is___14 + 9, ___61-8, ___8*3, ___36/4, ___23+10
Assessment
In assessing this activity the instructor may plot a graph either by hand or by a software package
(e.g. Microsoft Excel). Based on this graph the instructor will ask the students to make a number
of inferences from this graph and well as pose new scenarios in order to ensure that they can
transfer the knowledge from this activity to others.