Year 10 - Science
Human reaction time: practical
Coordination and control: the human nervous system
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores the structure and function of the nervous system, including the CNS, reflex arcs, and the eye. It covers brain structure, common eye defects, and the challenges in treating nervous system damage. It also addresses ethical considerations.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to predict, plan and carry out an investigation into the effect of a factor on human reaction time, and analyse the data to draw a conclusion.
Key Notes
- Some factors affect human reaction time (e.g. the time taken to catch a ruler after it is dropped).
- Writing a testable prediction or hypothesis about the effect of a factor on human reaction time.
- Identifying independent and dependent variables, range of values to test, and which factors to control and how.
- Safe use of apparatus, and safe and ethical use of human test subjects.
- Interpret data from measurements of human reaction time.
Vocabulary To Learn
- reaction time: The time taken to react to an event.
- ethical: Something that is morally good and does no harm.
- variable: Something that can be changed, measured or controlled in an experiment.
- prediction: A scientific prediction is a testable statement about a possible outcome of an experiment.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Describing and identifying independent, dependent and control variables and following a method with care and accuracy are skills that take time to build and need frequent revisiting.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Some factors affect human reaction time (e.g. the time taken to catch a ruler after it is dropped). Writing a testable prediction or hypothesis about the effect of a factor on human reaction time.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'reaction time'
The time taken to react to an event. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Describing and identifying independent, dependent and control variables and following a method with care and accuracy are skills that take time to build and need frequent revisiting. Correction: The variables in the practical and the method are outlined and discussed. Considerations on the ethicality of the experiment due to human subjects, and the presence of anomalous data, are also covered in detail.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Common defects of the human eye Study Guide
- Damage and disease in the human brain, including CT and PET scanning Study Guide
- Damage and disease in the human brain, including fMRI and electrical stimulation Study Guide
- Neurones and synapses Study Guide
- The human brain Study Guide
- The human eye Study Guide
- The human nervous system Study Guide
- The structure and function of a reflex arc Study Guide
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