Test yourself on Nervous System with exam style questions, marked instantly.
Flashcards that come back just before you would forget them.
A revision plan that remembers what you know and shows what to do next.
See which topics you have nailed and which need another look.
Quiz yourself on Nervous SystemGet your flashcardsBuild my revision planTrack my progress🧪 Required Practical: Reaction Time (RPA7)
In this practical, you measure reaction time using the ruler-drop method:
- One person holds a ruler vertically at the 0 cm mark between another person's open thumb and forefinger.
- The ruler is dropped without warning — the second person catches it as quickly as possible.
- Read the distance the ruler fell (in cm) and use a conversion table to find the reaction time.
- Repeat at least 5 times and calculate the mean to improve reliability.
Variables:
- Independent variable (what you change): e.g. caffeine intake, practice, distraction
- Dependent variable (what you measure): distance the ruler falls (reaction time)
- Control variables: same ruler, same hand, same starting position, same person dropping
Why repeat and average? Individual readings vary because reaction time is affected by concentration, fatigue, and anticipation. Taking a mean reduces the effect of anomalies and gives a more reliable result.
Make this stick
Signing in gives access to all PrepWise features.