The Reaction Time Lab — A Sports Science Experiment
1-page printable PDF · Ages 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 · Premium resource
Students become sports scientists with the classic Ruler Drop Test — measuring reaction time across three conditions and treating the results like real data: collection tables, a conversion chart from centimetres to milliseconds, a bar graph area, analysis questions and an extension challenge.
The three-condition design introduces fair testing and variable control, the conversion chart sneaks in genuine measurement maths, and the analysis questions push students from "what happened" to "why" — a complete miniature of the scientific method with nothing but a ruler and a partner.
One page, minimal equipment, Years 5–10. Run it in PE as a skill-acquisition practical, co-teach it with the science teacher, or use it as the accessible entry point to the senior lab sequence (Signal Detection, Information Load & Response Time). Bridging PE, science and maths this cheaply is rare — this card does it with a ruler.
Topics: reaction-time, data-collection, graphing, scientific-method, cross-curricular, pairs-activity, sport-science, ruler-drop-test, minimal-equipment
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