Reaction Time
Log In
You can easily measure your reaction time with a ruler and a helper. Hold out your thumb and forefinger and have your helper hold the ruler just barely above them. Your helper then says "go" and lets the ruler drop straight down. You grab it as quickly as you can with your thumb and forefinger. Look where you caught the ruler (that is, measure how far the ruler dropped between when your friend said "go" and you caught it) You can convert this distance to reaction time with the following table (from Brody, 1987, p. 147):
Drop Distance |
Reaction Time |
Drop Distance |
Reaction Time |
Drop Distance |
Reaction Time |
Drop Distance |
Reaction Time |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(inches) | (cm) | (ms) | (inches) | (cm) | (ms) | (inches) | (cm) | (ms) | (inches) | (cm) | (ms) |
1.0 | 2.5 | 72.0 | 7.0 | 17.8 | 190.5 | 13.0 | 33.0 | 259.6 | 19.0 | 48.3 | 313.8 |
2.0 | 5.1 | 101.8 | 8.0 | 20.3 | 203.6 | 14.0 | 35.6 | 269.4 | 20.0 | 50.8 | 322.0 |
3.0 | 7.6 | 124.7 | 9.0 | 22.9 | 216.0 | 15.0 | 38.1 | 278.8 | 21.0 | 53.3 | 329.9 |
4.0 | 10.2 | 144.0 | 10.0 | 25.4 | 227.7 | 16.0 | 40.6 | 288.0 | 22.0 | 55.9 | 337.7 |
5.0 | 12.7 | 161.0 | 11.0 | 27.9 | 238.8 | 17.0 | 43.2 | 296.9 | 23.0 | 58.4 | 345.3 |
6.0 | 15.2 | 176.4 | 12.0 | 30.5 | 249.4 | 18.0 | 45.7 | 305.5 | 24.0 | 61.0 | 352.7 |
Resource
Brody, H, 1987. Tennis Science for Tennis Players. Philadelphia: The University of Pennsylvania Press.
Explore Our Science Videos
Write Secret Messages With Invisible Ink!
Make a Model to Explore the Distance from the Planets to the Sun
DIY Mini Drone Part 7: Automatic Balancing