Lab: Measuring your reaction time using Earth's Gravity 1. View Stimulus 2. Process Stimulus Recognition 3. Send Response Response > 4. Initiate Action Theory: The ruler accelerates downward at g = 9.81 m/2 called the acceleration due to gravity. That is to say, the ruler speeds up and increases its velocity by 9.81 m/s for each second. From the kinematic equations we can predict the distance d that the "O mark" on the ruler falls after t seconds or equivalently t = Procedure 1. Sit down at a table or counter with your arm resting on the surface. Your hand should be just off the edge of the counter. 2. Have a friend hold the ruler so that the 0 mark is located just above your thumb and forefinger (view the image above for reference). Have your friend drop the stick. No countdowns to dropping the ruler are allowed. We want it so that you do not know when your friend is going to release the ruler). IMPORTANT: don't do this experiment by yourself since you will anticipate the ruler's release thus affecting your reaction time measurement. 3. After you catch the ruler, record the number that appears just above your thumb. This is the distance d in inches that the ruler has fallen in time t. Enter your data in the first row of the table below. Repeat the experiment so that you have a total of 5 drops and 5 rows of data. In your lab report use Excel (or similar program) to do a data table similar to the one seen below (doesn't have to be exactly the same as mine but it must be presented in table form) Trial 1 2 3 4 5 Distance [inches] Distance converted to meters [meter] 4. Report the average time from your five trials Average Reaction Time = Time for drop computed using equation [second] Conversion Factors (if needed) seconds (1) 1 inch = 0.0254 meters (2) 100 centimeters= 1 meter