Use this table to convert the measurement on your ruler into your reaction time in seconds. This is an estimate of how long it took between you seeing the ruler fall and then catching it. The lower the number, the faster your reaction time.

Describes how to make your own reaction timer to test your reaction time using just a ruler

Discuss what has to happen in order for the ruler to be grabbed (the neural circuit of a reaction: eyes to occipital lobe to processing to motor cortex to muscle). Draw pathway on reaction time body diagram (see details below in discussion points).

Much of the time it takes you to react to the ruler dropping is the time it takes electrical signals to travel along your nerves. Moving at about 100 metres per second, a signal telling a finger to move has to travel from your brain down your spinal cord and into your arm.

Reaction time is a measure of how quickly an organism responds to some sort of stimulus – a change in the environment that an organism reacts to. The ruler experiment is testing reaction time and voluntary movement. A reflex is an involuntary response that the body uses to protect itself. A reflex is faster than a reaction. Examples include ...

From the table below, the ‘mean catch distance’ on the ruler can be converted into a ‘mean reaction time’ in milliseconds (Remember: 1 millisecond is one thousandth of a second). Science basics (These are all review) Qualitative observation: An observation using your senses, just words, no numbers.

This chart shows how much distance passed your fingers before you caught the ruler. For example: If you caught the ruler after it dropped 10 centimeters (cm) then your reaction time is 0.14 seconds!

Measure the distance on the ruler by recording where the test subject grabbed it. Using the reaction time chart, convert the distance to reaction time. Use the Reaction time graph to graph your data to measure trends. Change different variables to see what might cause reaction time to be faster or slower.

When you caught the ruler, your reaction time is how long it took for your eyes to tell your brain that the ruler was falling and then for your brain to tell your fingers to catch it!

Specifically, you can calculate your reaction time using our handy chart, which is based on how quickly a ruler falls. How do we know how quickly your ruler will fall? Gravity pulls all objects toward Earth's center at the same speed.