Nervous coordination (A-level only)

Question 7

Two students investigated reaction time in response to touch using a ruler-drop test.

Student A sat with their eyes closed and their forearm resting on a desk so that their hand was over the edge.
Student B held a ruler vertically between Student A's thumb and index finger, with the $mm0\text{ mm}$ mark level with the top of Student A's finger.
Student B released the ruler without warning.
As soon as Student A felt the ruler touch, they closed their fingers to catch it.
The distance the ruler had fallen was recorded to the nearest millimeter.

The test was repeated four times. Table 1 shows the results.

Table 1

Trial	Distance the ruler fell / $mm\text{mm}$
1	83
2	12
3	78
4	79

The students converted these distances into reaction times using Table 2.

Table 2

Distance the ruler fell / $mm\text{mm}$	Reaction time / $ms\text{ms}$
10	45
20	64
30	78
40	90
50	101
60	111
70	120
80	128
90	135

Calculate the percentage uncertainty in the measurement of Trial 1 in Table 1, assuming an absolute uncertainty of $mm\pm 1\text{ mm}$ . Give your answer to two decimal places.

[2]

Student A estimated that the length of the nerve pathway involved in this reflex arc was $m1.60\text{ m}$ . Calculate the mean speed of nerve impulse transmission. Do not use the anomalous value (Trial 2) in your calculation. Give your answer to three significant figures.

[4]

Nervous coordination (A-level only)

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Question 7

Two students investigated reaction time in response to touch using a ruler-drop test.

Student A sat with their eyes closed and their forearm resting on a desk so that their hand was over the edge.
Student B held a ruler vertically between Student A's thumb and index finger, with the $mm0\text{ mm}$ mark level with the top of Student A's finger.
Student B released the ruler without warning.
As soon as Student A felt the ruler touch, they closed their fingers to catch it.
The distance the ruler had fallen was recorded to the nearest millimeter.

The test was repeated four times. Table 1 shows the results.

Table 1

Trial	Distance the ruler fell / $mm\text{mm}$
1	83
2	12
3	78
4	79

The students converted these distances into reaction times using Table 2.

Table 2

Distance the ruler fell / $mm\text{mm}$	Reaction time / $ms\text{ms}$
10	45
20	64
30	78
40	90
50	101
60	111
70	120
80	128
90	135

Calculate the percentage uncertainty in the measurement of Trial 1 in Table 1, assuming an absolute uncertainty of $mm\pm 1\text{ mm}$ . Give your answer to two decimal places.

[2]

[4]

Nervous coordination (A-level only)

Question 7

Markscheme

Nervous coordination (A-level only)

Question 7

Markscheme

Nervous coordination (A-level only)

Question 7

Nervous coordination (A-level only) Questions

Nervous coordination (A-level only)

Question 7

Nervous coordination (A-level only) Questions