Science project
Think Fast! Do Lefties Have an Advantage?
Grade Level: Middle School; Type: Social Science
Objective:
Determine if left-handed people have faster response times.
Research Questions:
Do left-handed people react faster than their right-handed counterparts?
Studies indicate that lefties may respond to stimuli faster than righties. This experiment tests this premise with an online “reaction test” to measure reaction time in right-handed and left-handed participants.
Materials:
- Online reaction test
- Notebook to record results
Experimental Procedure:
- Search the internet for an online reaction test.
- Have test subject take the reaction test.
- Record reaction time.
- Repeat test 10 times and take the average of the results.
- Repeat the experiment for many left-handed and right-handed people. Make sure each test group contains comparably-aged people and a variety of male and female participants.
- Evaluate your results.
Sample table for recording data:
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Righties
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Lefties
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Subject 4 |
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Subject 5 |
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Terms/Concepts: Differences between left-handed and right-handed people; What is reaction-time?; How does the brain react to a stimulus?
References:
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Education.com provides the Science Fair Project Ideas for informational purposes only. Education.com does not make any guarantee or representation regarding the Science Fair Project Ideas and is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage, directly or indirectly, caused by your use of such information. By accessing the Science Fair Project Ideas, you waive and renounce any claims against Education.com that arise thereof. In addition, your access to Education.com's website and Science Fair Project Ideas is covered by Education.com's Privacy Policy and site Terms of Use, which include limitations on Education.com's liability.
Warning is hereby given that not all Project Ideas are appropriate for all individuals or in all circumstances. Implementation of any Science Project Idea should be undertaken only in appropriate settings and with appropriate parental or other supervision. Reading and following the safety precautions of all materials used in a project is the sole responsibility of each individual. For further information, consult your state's handbook of Science Safety.
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