Science Fair Project ExperimentStep by Step

If your child does not have an experiment, please use this one.

Experiment Ruler Drop

• If you child does not have one, use this one.

1. Question: How fast is a human’s reaction time?

2. Background information: List two different facts about gravity.

3. Variables: 1. Constant- (no change) chair, ruler, table, height of ruler drop

2. Independent-(one change) Person

3. Dependent-(measure change) Reaction time of each person

4. Hypothesis: If I had two different people catch the dropped ruler, then their reaction time will be different.

Experiment Ruler Drop

5. Experiment: First person sits in a chair beside a table with dominate hand on knee, hand

open. With non-dominate hand hold the ruler one inch below the table top. Drop ruler straight down and catch with dominate hand. Record your inches. Repeat two more times.

Then have the second person do the exact same thing three times. Record your inches

First Person Second Person

1 1

2 2

3 3

Experiment Ruler Drop

• Observation: Transfer your results from your experiment to a table or a chart.

• Example below in green, information placed in table.

Name: first person

Amy

Won Name: Second Person

Rob

Won

1 11 inches 1 6 ½ inches X

2 2

3 3

Experiment Ruler Drop

• Results:– Compare in detail how the two people you

used in your experiment did with their reaction times. Where they the same, close, or different.

• Conclusion:– Did you agree or disagree with your

hypothesis and why? Explain in detail.