The Scientific Method

Purpose:  The purpose of this investigation is to examine the steps of the scientific method.  In this "reaction time" experiment you will

Materials and Methods:  A meter stick and calculator are needed for this experiment.  Although two students will demonstrate this experiment, the entire class will record the data and carry out the calculations.  Reaction time is the time it takes for information to travel from the eye to the brain and back to appropriate skeletal muscles for a response.  Reaction time is determined by the following formula:  reaction time or t =

Experiment:      One student will sit with arm positioned so that a meter stick can be caught between the index finger and thumb.  A second student will stand in a chair and drop the meter stick.  The meter stick is held at the 100cm end with the 1cm end just above the finger and thumb.  The student who drops the stick will state that the stick is about to be dropped, and then drop it at some point between 1 and 10 seconds.  The stick will be dropped 10 times with only the 1 to 10 second pause varying.  After each drop, the student who catches the stick will read and announce the distance the stick travels by determining the cm number just under the finger-thumb.  Do one practice or trial run before recording data.

After each drop, enter the distance below:

1. _____
2. _____
3. _____
4. _____
5. _____
6. _____
7. _____
8. _____
9. _____
10. _____

avg:  _____ (This is the "s" in the formula above.)

reaction time:  ______ (Determine using formula above.)

Conclusion:

What is the problem that you must try to resolve?

What is the hypothesis?

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