Some of you may have noticed that your results in the ruler investigation were affected by the accuracy of your timing method and device. You can use a computer simulation to get more accurate results. The reaction time simulation can measure in .001 second units!

0. Open Noah's reaction time simulation. Practice the simulation. Click on the green "GO" button to start the simulation. Click on the red "Stop" button following the beep. Your reaction time will be shown in milliseconds in the Elapsed Time box. Refer to Technical Hints to use the simulation.

1. How does a person's reaction time change when you are under different conditions or stress? Does the volume of the music affect your reaction time? Does the type of music affect the reaction time? Before you begin, decide on how to set up your investigation. After discussion in your group, write down the steps in your procedure and be prepared to explain them to your class.

2. Create a spreadsheet to record your results. Make a column for each type of music and a row for 10 trials. Create a row for mean reaction time. Refer to Technical Hints to create a spreadsheet.

3. Record you and your partner's reaction time with the simulation for ten trials while the room is perfectly quiet. Repeat the trials while listening to different types of music (e.g., classical versus rock). Record you and your partner's reaction time for ten trials the different background music.

4. Find the mean time for each type of music. Refer to Technical Hints to find an mean (average) on a spreadsheet. Using the data make a bar chart to compare the results for different kinds of music. Refer to Technical Hints to see how to create a bar chart.

5. Answer Questions 5 and 6 in the "Analysis".