Physics 1
Kinematics Lab Activity
Measuring Reaction Time

Purpose:

To measure a person's reaction time using free fall.

Discussion:

Use Ch. 2 Activity 2 - need discussion, data table, follow-up question (stopping distance with/without reaction time).

An interesting extension to this lab is to measure the distance from the eye to the visual cortex to the hand, and then calculate the average speed of the nerve signal. (I got this idea from the Brockport High School Physics Web Site.)

Equipment:

meter stick

calculator