Technical Writing for University
LNGE40064
Assessment 2
Experimental Report Reaction Time
732 words
15 August 2014

Abstract
The process for this experiment was to test the subject’s reaction time to catching a ruler that has been dropped by another person. A ruler was dropped at various intervals and caught by the subject. This was done without warning, to gage the exact reaction time that it takes for the brain to work the body part that catches the ruler. The subject’s times are then calculated and the times noted. This experiment was specific in detailing what age group has the quicker response between the brain and the action. The results were 50 plus were .032 second with 20 plus at .038 seconds with teenagers at .035 seconds.
Reaction times are gauged by holding a ruler in one hand and dropping it between the participants thumb and fingers. This is done by the person conducting the experiment and dropping the ruler without any warning. The participant has to catch this ruler as soon as they have worked out that it has been dropped. Then the distance on the ruler where they have caught it is noted down so the time it took can be calculated.
This experiment used 3 different age groups, the subjects tested were teenagers, twenty plus and fifty plus people. To will work out and determine which age group has the fastest reaction time. In this experiment there is only one function and one reaction.

Method
1 Have your subject sit down and explain the experiment to them.
2 Have subject 1 hold out one of their hands. (See figure 1: Teenager catching a ruler).
3 Hold a ruler above their hand but with the base of it just between their thumb and fingers.
4 Let it drop without warning.
5 Their job is to catch the ruler as soon as they sense that you have dropped it.
6 Record the findings of the measurement where they have caught the ruler (see table 1)
7 Repeat the experiment per subject four more times recording the measurement every time.
8 Calculate the average of these 5 findings per person.
9 Do the same for the second subject, recording the findings as you do each experiment (see figure 2: twenty plus catching a ruler).
10 Do the same for the third subject, as was done with each subject prior and record each of the findings (see figure 3: fifty plus catching a ruler).
11 Record and work out the averages to get your results (see table 1 data collected).
12

Figure : Teenager catching a ruler.

Figure : Twenty plus catching a ruler.

Figure : Fifty plus catching a ruler

Results
This experiment was conducted at the same time of day at 2pm for all 3 age groups, they consisted of female teenagers, male twenty