Name: Section: Date:

CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS EXPERIMENT

Free-fall Acceleration

Lab 02 – Reaction Time

Purpose
To measure the falling time of a meter stick as a means to determine reaction time.

Equipment And Supplies

experiment partner extra masses
dollar bill tape
meterstick Some image recording device
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Preliminary Discussion
Reaction time is the time interval between receiving a signal and acting on it—for example, the time between when
a frog sees a fly land on an adjacent leaf and the flick of the frog’s tongue to capture the tasty morsel.

Reaction time often affects measurement taking, such as when using a stopwatch to measure the time for a 100
meter dash. The watch is started after the gun sounds and is stopped after the tape is broken. Both actions include
the timer’s reaction time.

If you try to measure the time for some much quicker event, your reaction time can greatly skew the results from
reality. For instance, imagine how your reaction time would convolute a stopwatch measurement of someone else’s
reaction! No amount of practice, consistency, or focus could resolve the problem in that situation.

In this experiment you will investigate your reaction time as well as objects experiencing free-fall acceleration. Be
sure to review information about objects experiencing free-fall before proceeding with this experiment.

Never forget to answer all questions and follow all instructions, and try to elaborate on your responses because
obviously, just doing the bare minimum does not yield excellent achievement.

Procedure And Methodology

Step 1: Get a feel for reaction to falling objects. Have a partner hold the top of a dollar bill
while you position your fingers open at the midpoint of the dollar bill. Without doing a
countdown or providing any such cues, have your partner release the bill whenever they
wish, then you try to catch it by snapping your fingers shut without moving your hand down.
Record a picture of you performing this action with your partner and paste the picture at the
end of this document or attach it as a picture file, and submit it with the lab document. The
picture does not need to include your faces since the emphasis is on showing that you indeed
have a partner for this (it doesn’t work without a partner). Next, have your partner try to
catch the bill when it is released. What do you discover? Write your response below.

This experience highlighted the difficulty of catching a falling object without receiving
a proper warning. Whenever my partner dropped the dollar bill and it was my turn to
catch it, I found it challenging to grasp the bill. Most of the time, I either missed it
entirely or only managed to catch it near the top. Similarly, when it was my partner's
turn to catch the bill, he didn't fare much better. Like me, he often failed to catch it or
only managed to grab it near the top. There were only a few instances where we
successfully caught the bill near the middle.

Step 2: Now, you will determine your reaction time by reacting to a falling meterstick.
Your partner will drop a meterstick between your open fingers, and you will try to catch it
like the dollar bill. To have the most consistent results, it is best to rest your wrist on top of a surface so that your
hand does not move. Your hand should be extended over the edge of the surface. Note, and record in Table 1, the
starting position of the meterstick with respect to your fingers, then have your partner drop the stick when they wish.
Again, do not do a countdown or provide any cues. Catch the stick as soon as you see it is released, and take note of
the ending position of the meterstick with respect to your fingers. Record the end position in Table 1 then state the
number of centimeters that passed during the time it took you to catch the falling meterstick. Repeat the procedure
so there is a total of ten trials, then determine the average fall distance. For one of the trials, you will record a
picture of yourself performing a trial and submit it with the lab document. The picture does not need to include your
face since the emphasis is showing that you have the proper measurement equipment.

Table 1: Meterstick Catching Distance

Trial # Starting Ending Distance
Point (cm) Point (cm) Traveled (cm)
1 0 17 13 Using the definition of average velocity
2 0 16 14 together with the definition of average
acceleration, it can be shown that the fall
3 0 10 20
time, t (in seconds), is related to the fall
4 0 9 21 distance, d (in centimeters), by the
5 0 15 15 following equation: t=0.045 √ d (notify
6 0 12 18 the instructor if you do not see the equation
7 0 10 20 here). Since the stick fell while you were
reacting, the fall time is your reaction time!
8 0 11 19
Calculate your reaction time just once using
9 0 12 18 the formula in this paragraph and the
10 0 13 17 average fall distance. Show your
Average 17.5 calculations and result below.

your reaction time: t = .188 seconds

Step 3: Using your reaction time, estimate the distance a car would travel at 20 m/s (45 mi/h) before you could
apply the brakes. To get the distance (in meters), you multiply the speed in m/s by your reaction time in seconds.
Show your calculation and result (with unit) below.

20(.188) = 3.76 meters

Look at your single meterstick to get an idea of the total distance traveled at that speed before you apply brakes.

Step 4: Notice how heavy your meterstick feels. Try to double its weight (or more) by using tape to attach some
object to the end of the meterstick. You will record a picture of the altered meterstick and submit it with the lab
document. The picture does not need to include your face since the emphasis is on what you used to alter the
meterstick. Answer the following questions before repeating the reaction time experiment using this modified
meterstick.

Predict how much the heavier meterstick will fall compared to the lighter one (more, less, same?). Justify your
answer.

Based on the increased drag experienced by the heavier meterstick, I anticipate that it will descend at a
significantly faster rate compared to the lighter meterstick.

What reaction time should result from your above prediction of the heavier meterstick compared to the light one.
Justify your answer, and remember, time is proportional to distance according to the equation.

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In this experiment, the reaction time is expected to be slower compared to the one involving the light
meterstick. This is because the heavier meterstick is likely to fall at a faster rate than the lighter one, making
it more challenging for me to catch it at an earlier stage.

Now perform the experiment with the heavier meterstick and record your results in Table 2.

Table 2: Heavier Meterstick Catching Distance

Trial # Starting Ending Distance
Point (cm) Point (cm) Traveled (cm)
1 0 6 24 Once again, calculate your reaction time
2 0 4 26 just once using the formula and the average
fall distance. Show your calculations and
3 0 9 21
result below.
4 0 4 26
5 0 7 23
6 0 4 26
your reaction time: t = .221 seconds
7 0 8 22
8 0 1 29
Step 5: You will now compare your
9 0 8 22
reaction times to see if your predictions
10 0 7 23 were correct. To make it easier to compare,
Average 24.2 complete Table 3 below.

Table 3: Results Of The Experiment With The Light Meterstick vs. The Heavy Meterstick
Lighter Meterstick Heavier Meterstick
Reaction Time (s) .188 .221

Compare the average reaction time for both sets of trials below. Reaction time values that are within 0.025 s of each
other can be considered to be virtually the same. Explain your results and comparison below (before moving on to
the conclusions), and be sure to explain why your predictions may or may not match your results. As you explain,
be aware that the falling surface area of the meterstick is so small that air resistance cannot be a factor for these short
fall distances.

In my earlier predicted, I anticipated that my response time would be longer when reacting to the heavier
meterstick compared to the lighter one. After conducting both experiments, my prediction has proven to be
accurate. There is a noticeable difference of 0.033 seconds between my reaction times. As I previously
mentioned, I maintain my belief that the reaction time for heavier objects being dropped will generally be
longer due to the increased drag exerted on them, which surpasses the drag experienced by lighter objects.

Conclusions
1. Do you think your reaction time in any situation is always exactly the same? Explain why it may be
different in differing situations, and suggest possible explanations why reaction times are different for
different people.

I believe that my reaction time varies across different situations. Numerous factors contribute to
reaction time, and it's not a constant in every scenario. For instance, if I were aware that someone
intended to throw a football at me, I would be more mentally prepared to react quickly compared to
a situation where a ball was randomly hurled towards me. Awareness plays a significant role in
influencing reaction time. Another reason for differing reactions among individuals could be the

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 activities they engage in. Those who regularly participate in stimulating brain and body exercises are
likely to exhibit faster reaction times compared to those who don't.

2. Do you think your reaction time could affect any measurements you might make when using stopwatches
or timers for this course? Without mentioning practice, consistency, or focus of the measurer, think of
ways to minimize or completely remove the effects of a measurer’s reaction time when they’re making any
time measurements.

I believe that my reaction time would not significantly impact any measurements taken during this
course. To minimize the influence of a measurer's reaction time when conducting time
measurements, one approach could involve having two individuals simultaneously record the time.
By comparing their recorded times afterward, the chances of both individuals' reaction times
affecting the measurements would be reduced. Another method to mitigate this effect would be to
record the experiment using a stopwatch, ensuring that the recorded time is accurate. Although this
idea may seem unconventional, it provides an easily accessible solution for most students.

3. What role does reaction time play in applying the brakes to your car in an emergency situation?

Having a swift reaction time is crucial when it comes to engaging the brakes in your vehicle.
Unexpected emergencies on the road often arise without prior notice, making the ability to quickly
respond and apply the brakes an essential quality for every driver.

4. Give examples where reaction time is important in sports.

Reaction times play a crucial role across various sports disciplines. In baseball, both the batter and
fielders rely on quick reactions to respond to the ball's trajectory. Similarly, in football, the ball
carrier must possess rapid reflexes to evade oncoming defenders, while players must react swiftly to
receive a passed ball. In essence, anytime an object is passed, thrown, or struck in sports, athletes
must exhibit exceptional reaction times.