The effect of alcohol on reaction times
Apparatus List:
85cm High Table
100cm Wooden Ruler
Pen
Paper
The table is used to drop the ruler from so we know that the height the ruler is dropped from is the same each time we do the experiment. We will hold the bottom of the ruler level with the surface of the table before it is dropped. The ruler is to be used as the measurement of people’s reaction times in millimetres. The pen is to mark out where the thumb and first finger must be when the ruler is released and is also used to record the results on the paper.
Method
We will make two short lines at the end of the table 1.7 centimetres apart. The inside of the right hand thumb and right hand first finger must be placed along side these. We will place the ruler inside the fingers in the centre with the side with the shortest width touching the table and also facing away from the table. The person’s hands should be level with the bottom of the ruler. The ruler will be released without warning the person who is catching it. The person catching it must have clear visibility of the ruler. When the person has caught the ruler the measurement should be read from the bottom side of his finger and thumb and not from above them. Write the results down on the paper and repeat the experiment four more times.
