timer program

#$&*

Phy 121

Your 'timer program' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.

** TIMER program_labelMessages **

** **

1.5 hours

** **

This experiment is self-explanatory. Student report time of completion ranging from 10 minutes to 1 hour, with 30 minutes being the most typical.

Downloading and/or running the TIMER program

If you have a Macintosh computer the preferred timer.exe program might not work (it will if your computer has a Windows emulator), but the alternative Java applet should work just fine.

timer.exe

The program timer.exe should be downloaded to your hard drive and/or flash drive so you have access to it whenever you need it.

There is an alternative Java applet (see the heading timer java applet below) , but the .exe option is preferable. It is worth 15 minutes of effort to get the program working on your hard drive, after which you will have it and won't need Internet access to run it. It will start up instantly, it runs in a small window, and it has the ability to file your data. However if you can't get it working in 15 minutes with the instructions given below, just move on the the Java version.

To use the Windows version:

If you are using a Windows PC, or a Mac with Windows emulator, first take a few seconds to run the program q a prelim. As soon as the form opens on your screen, you can close it. Nothing needs to be submitted. The first thing this program does is to create the c:\vhmthphy folder on your hard drive. As an alternative you can also create a c:\vhmthphy folder.

The timer.exe program opens in a small window and can be run side-by-side with other windows applications on your computer (just size the second window so it leaves room for the Timer program).

Run the program now. If it fails to work then try the following, in order:

•If you got the Run-time Error 76, it can be corrected by the step given earlier. That instruction is repeated below:

Run the program q a prelim. As soon as the form opens on your screen, you can close it. Nothing needs to be submitted. The first thing this program does is to create the c:\vhmthphy folder on your hard drive. As an alternative you can manually create this folder.

•If this doesn't work, follow the link COMDLG32 to access simple instructions for fixing the problem. Then run timer.exe .

To use the Java version:

Windows users:

The Java applet does require that the Java Runtime Environment be installed. Almost every Apple computer, and most Windows computers, will have this environment installed. If your computer will not run the Java applet, the installation is simple and quick. If you search under 'Java Runtime Environment', using any search engine, you will find information on the Java Runtime Environment and on the installation. You should satisfy yourself that you are downloading from a verifiable, trusted source.

Mac users:

Apple supplies their own version of Java. Use the Software Update feature (available on the Apple menu) to check that you have the most up-to-date version of Java for your Mac.

should check the Apple site for the Software Update feature (available on the Apple menu) to check that you have the most up-to-date version of Java for your Mac.

The Java Applet at the link Timer-Java will work fine for the current experiment, and will do just about everything the timer.exe program will do. The Java applet has a few more or less minor inconveniences and one that's not quite as minor:

•You can't put the Java applet on your hard drive or flash drive, so you have to pull it off the Web every time you want to use it.

•The applet won't file your data. However it will let you copy and paste your data into a text editor.

•If your machine doesn't run Java applets, you would have to set it up to do so (just search the web under 'Java Runtime Environment', which is free and installs easily). This software is pretty standard, and is already installed on most machines.

Operating the TIMER program

It is easy to operate the Timer program. All you have to do is click on the button labeled Click to Time Event.

Click that button about 10 times and describe what you see.

When you click on the Click on Time Event button, it gives you the time in seconds since you opened up the Timer program window. When you continue to press the button, it continues to give you the current running time since you opened up the window.

#$&*

Now click on Initialize Counter, which will clear all the data from the timer window. Click the mouse as fast as you can until the TIMER window fills up. Be sure you get at least 20 time intervals.

If you miss a click, try again. Keep trying until you get at least 20 quick-click intervals without a missed or delayed click.

Copy your data starting in the next line:

1 2.039063 2.039063

2 2.179688 .140625

3 2.320313 .140625

4 2.453125 .1328125

5 2.742188 .2890625

6 2.90625 .1640625

7 3.070313 .1640625

8 3.226563 .15625

9 3.398438 .171875

10 3.5625 .1640625

11 3.71875 .15625

12 3.875 .15625

13 4.195313 .3203125

14 4.375 .1796875

15 4.53125 .15625

16 4.6875 .15625

17 4.835938 .1484375

18 5 .1640625

19 5.164063 .1640625

20 5.320313 .15625

#$&*

You got at least 20 time intervals. Based on your data what was the average of the first 20 time intervals? Note that you could get this average by averaging the first 20 intervals. My first few intervals were .15625, .15625, .1875, .171875, etc; I could just add up the first 20 intervals and divide by 20 to get the average. However there is an easier and quicker way to get the result, so use the easier way if you can. NOTE: Spreadsheet calculations and other methods that disguise the process of finding the average are not valid answers to this question. Spreadsheets are perfectly legal for most data analysis, but not in this experiment.

Give your result, number only, in the first line, and starting in the second line explain how you got it.

average of quick-click intervals: .15625

explanation: This interval comes up the most on my table.

@& The average interval you reported, which is the mode of the distribution, is a good representative of the data, and is valid as an average.

This is especially so since your data set included a number of what were obviously 'missed clicks', resulting in times like .28 seconds or .32 seconds. These outliers would have a big affect on the mean of the intervals.

Another good alternative to the mean would be to use the median.

It's not necessary to repeat this experiment (which is mainly an introduction to data-taking and a little statistical analysis) with a better data set, but note that on some experiments it can be necessary to repeat the data-taking process to get a valid data set. *@

#$&*

When I did this activity the first few lines of my data were as follows:

event number clock time time interval

1 11.67188 11.67188

2 11.875 0.203125

3 12.0625 0.1875

4 12.20313 0.140625

5 12.375 0.171875

6 12.54688 0.171875

7 12.73438 0.1875

8 12.92188 0.1875

9 13.10938 0.1875

10 13.28125 0.171875

11 13.4375 0.15625

It looks like the same intervals keep popping up. For example .1875 seconds occurs 5 times out of the first 10 intervals, .171875 seconds occurs three times, and .203125 seconds, .140625 seconds and .15625 seconds each occur once.

A frequency distribution for my time intervals would be as follows:

time interval frequency

,140625 1

.15625 1

.171875 3

.1875 5

.203125 1

What different time intervals did you observe in your first 20 intervals, and how many times did each occur? List below the different time intervals you observed and the number of times each occurred. List from the shortest to the longest interval, and use a comma between the time interval and its frequency. For example my data above would be listed at

.140625, 1

.1565, 1

.171875, 3

.1875, 5

.203125, 1

The above list is called a frequency distribution. Be sure you make note of this terminology.

Your list should be in exactly the above format, with no other symbols or characters.

Your list (i.e., your frequency distribution):

.1328125, 1

.140625, 2

.1484375, 1

.15625, 6

.1640625, 5

.171875, 1

.1796875, 1

.2890625, 1

.3203125, 1

2.039063, 1

#$&*

You are welcome make any comments or ask any question about the process so far.

I am not sure if I am right on the first question. I am not sure if I am looking for the average of the seconds, or the average of the time between each push of the button. I put the average of the time between each push of the button, and I hope that that was the correct answer.

#$&*

@& You were asked for the average of the time intervals, and that is what you reported.

It would be meaningless to average the clock times (i.e., the times reported by the 'running clock', in the middle column). *@

On the 10 intervals I've shown you, do you really think I managed to get a time of .1875 seconds, accurate to 4 significant figures, on half of the intervals? If you do, I'm grateful for your confidence but I'm just not that good. No human being has that much neurological and muscular control.

So why do you think the TIMER program reported that time so frequently? Why weren't there times like .1830 seconds, or .1769 seconds? Does this mean that the TIMER program is flawed? Does that mean it's useless?

Why did the TIMER report .1875 seconds multiple times; your conclusions about the program:

I would conclude that the system might have a glitch in it, or it could possibly recognize double clicks. Aslo the program could have set numbers that the accurate count is rounded to, since the number of many of the intervals are reoccuring. I really don't know exactly why the system registers intervals that are humanly impossible to produce.

#$&*

Here are a few more lines of data, with an added column showing the difference between each time interval and the next.

clock time time interval difference from one time interval to next

9 13.10938 0.1875 -0.01563

10 13.28125 0.171875 -0.01563

11 13.4375 0.15625 0.03125

12 13.625 0.1875 -0.01563

13 13.79688 0.171875 0.015625

14 13.98438 0.1875 0.015625

15 14.1875 0.203125 -0.03125

16 14.35938 0.171875 -0.01563

17 14.51563 0.15625 0.03125

Take a good look at that last column and tell us what you see in those numbers, and what this tells you about the TIMER program:

The last column contains both positive and negative numbers. Aside from the negative and positive factors, there are only 3 reoccuring numbers that are present. These are .01563, .03125, and .015625.

#$&*

Now initialize the TIMER once more, and take a series of 10 relaxed breaths. Every time you start to inhale, hit the TIMER button.

My results for the first 7 complete breaths are as follows:

series of relaxed breaths

event number clock time time interval difference between time interval and next

1 1569.734 1569.734

2 1582.75 13.01563 0.32812

3 1596.094 13.34375 3.90625

4 1613.344 17.25 2.70313

5 1633.297 19.95313 1.35937

6 1654.609 21.3125 4.23438

7 1680.156 25.54688 2.15625

8 1707.859 27.70313

I didn't go on because the time between my breaths kept increasing, and I was afraid if I relaxed any more I might stop breathing altogether. It's going to take either more statistical analysis to determine whether that's a real danger, or a little common sense.

Report your results by just entering your time intervals, one to each line, in the box below. If I was entering my results I would enter

13.01563

13.34375

17.25

19.95313

21.3125

etc.

Enter your results in the same format:

4.34375

4.84375

4.90625

4.515625

3.765625

4.257813

4.914063

5.171875

4.375

#$&*

If you have any comments please insert them here

I may not have been as relaxed to get an answer like 13, but I felt like I was fairly relaxed.

#$&*

Most likely you did not observe the same exact time interval twice, and if you did it did not happen nearly as often as when you did the fact clicks.

Why do you think this is exactly what we would expect?

I think it is what we would expect because our breathing isn't down to an exact time frame. Each breath isn't on a time table of when it has to be breathed in and then released. It is more random and much less consistant.

#$&*

Which of the following statements do you think is the most accurate?

a. The TIMER program is capable of determining the time between two events accurately to within about .1 second.

b. The TIMER program is capable of determining the time between two events accurately to within about .01 second.

c. The TIMER program is capable of determining the time between two events accurately to within about .001 second.

d. The TIMER program is capable of determining the time between two events accurately to within about .0001 second.

Enter your answer and your reasoning below:

I would say C is the most accurate.

#$&*

@& `` If the TIMER was accurate to within .001 second, then between, say, .12 seconds and .16 seconds there would be 40 possible time intervals (i.e., .120, .121, .122, ..., .158, .159, .160; you can count from .120 to .160 by .001 in half a minute).

If this was the case, then on 20 time intervals you would expect a few, but you wouldn't expect as many repetitions of the same interval as you reported. *@

If you don't have a spreadsheet you should be able to easily access a free spreadsheet in order to do this last step. If you don't have time right now you can do this part later, and submit just a copy of this question and your response, using the Question Form .

If you don't know what text editor comes with your device (for Windows this would be Notepad), you should simple search the Web under 'text editing for ****' where **** is your device.

Note that this course is not intended to be run from a handheld device. Screens are too small to clearly see the necessary amount of content. However if either version of the TIMER runs on your handheld device and that device allows you the necessary functionality, it's fine to use it.

Note that the TIMER.exe program can save your data in a format that can be read by a spreadsheet (the TIMER applet cannot do so). This will be very handy in the future, so take a minute and do the following:

If you are using the TIMER.exe program:

1. Click on the button at the lower right of the TIMER form, entitled Click to File Data.

2. A box will pop up allowing you to include an identifying message. You should generally choose to include such a message; for the data presently on your timer that might be 'series of regular breaths time at beginning of inhalation' or something similar. Type in whatever you think would serve as a good identifier for this data and OK that box.

3. A typical Save As window will appear. Decide where to save your data and what to call it, and proceed to save it. The program will save the file as a comma-delimited text file.

4. Open your spreadsheet program (typically Excel) and choose File > Open. Browse to the folder in which you just saved your data. Below the File Name line will be a File Type line; set this either to Text Files or All Files so your file will appear. Open it.

5. A series of windows will typically appear. In the first window make sure the file type chosen is Delimited, the proceed to the next window.

6. In the second window you will see a series of checkboxes; check the one entitled Comma, in order to select the comma-delimited file, then just click on Finish.

If you are using the TIMER applet you can't do Steps 1-3. In this case:

Copy the contents of the program to a text file, using copy-and-paste. Just highlight the contents of the box, copy and past into a text file. Save the text file using any filename you wish. Then proceed with steps 4-6 above.

Your data should appear in your spreadsheet, and can be manipulated as in any spreadsheet.

Copy a few lines of the data from your spreadsheet below, and indicate what spreadsheet you are using:

series of regular breaths times at beginning of inhalation

event number clock time time interval

1 4628.797 4628.797

2 4633.141 4.34375

3 4637.984 4.84375

4 4642.891 4.90625

5 4647.406 4.515625

I used Excel for this.

#$&*

*#&!*#&!

@& Good work, but see my notes for a few things you'll want to think about. *@

timer program

#$&*

Phy 121

Your 'timer program' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.

** TIMER program_labelMessages **

** **

1.5 hours

** **

This experiment is self-explanatory. Student report time of completion ranging from 10 minutes to 1 hour, with 30 minutes being the most typical.

Downloading and/or running the TIMER program

If you have a Macintosh computer the preferred timer.exe program might not work (it will if your computer has a Windows emulator), but the alternative Java applet should work just fine.

timer.exe

The program timer.exe should be downloaded to your hard drive and/or flash drive so you have access to it whenever you need it.

There is an alternative Java applet (see the heading timer java applet below) , but the .exe option is preferable. It is worth 15 minutes of effort to get the program working on your hard drive, after which you will have it and won't need Internet access to run it. It will start up instantly, it runs in a small window, and it has the ability to file your data. However if you can't get it working in 15 minutes with the instructions given below, just move on the the Java version.

To use the Windows version:

If you are using a Windows PC, or a Mac with Windows emulator, first take a few seconds to run the program q a prelim. As soon as the form opens on your screen, you can close it. Nothing needs to be submitted. The first thing this program does is to create the c:\vhmthphy folder on your hard drive. As an alternative you can also create a c:\vhmthphy folder.

The timer.exe program opens in a small window and can be run side-by-side with other windows applications on your computer (just size the second window so it leaves room for the Timer program).

Run the program now. If it fails to work then try the following, in order:

•If you got the Run-time Error 76, it can be corrected by the step given earlier. That instruction is repeated below:

Run the program q a prelim. As soon as the form opens on your screen, you can close it. Nothing needs to be submitted. The first thing this program does is to create the c:\vhmthphy folder on your hard drive. As an alternative you can manually create this folder.

•If this doesn't work, follow the link COMDLG32 to access simple instructions for fixing the problem. Then run timer.exe .

To use the Java version:

Windows users:

The Java applet does require that the Java Runtime Environment be installed. Almost every Apple computer, and most Windows computers, will have this environment installed. If your computer will not run the Java applet, the installation is simple and quick. If you search under 'Java Runtime Environment', using any search engine, you will find information on the Java Runtime Environment and on the installation. You should satisfy yourself that you are downloading from a verifiable, trusted source.

Mac users:

Apple supplies their own version of Java. Use the Software Update feature (available on the Apple menu) to check that you have the most up-to-date version of Java for your Mac.

should check the Apple site for the Software Update feature (available on the Apple menu) to check that you have the most up-to-date version of Java for your Mac.

The Java Applet at the link Timer-Java will work fine for the current experiment, and will do just about everything the timer.exe program will do. The Java applet has a few more or less minor inconveniences and one that's not quite as minor:

•You can't put the Java applet on your hard drive or flash drive, so you have to pull it off the Web every time you want to use it.

•The applet won't file your data. However it will let you copy and paste your data into a text editor.

•If your machine doesn't run Java applets, you would have to set it up to do so (just search the web under 'Java Runtime Environment', which is free and installs easily). This software is pretty standard, and is already installed on most machines.

Operating the TIMER program

It is easy to operate the Timer program. All you have to do is click on the button labeled Click to Time Event.

Click that button about 10 times and describe what you see.

When you click on the Click on Time Event button, it gives you the time in seconds since you opened up the Timer program window. When you continue to press the button, it continues to give you the current running time since you opened up the window.

#$&*

Now click on Initialize Counter, which will clear all the data from the timer window. Click the mouse as fast as you can until the TIMER window fills up. Be sure you get at least 20 time intervals.

If you miss a click, try again. Keep trying until you get at least 20 quick-click intervals without a missed or delayed click.

Copy your data starting in the next line:

1 2.039063 2.039063

2 2.179688 .140625

3 2.320313 .140625

4 2.453125 .1328125

5 2.742188 .2890625

6 2.90625 .1640625

7 3.070313 .1640625

8 3.226563 .15625

9 3.398438 .171875

10 3.5625 .1640625

11 3.71875 .15625

12 3.875 .15625

13 4.195313 .3203125

14 4.375 .1796875

15 4.53125 .15625

16 4.6875 .15625

17 4.835938 .1484375

18 5 .1640625

19 5.164063 .1640625

20 5.320313 .15625

#$&*

You got at least 20 time intervals. Based on your data what was the average of the first 20 time intervals? Note that you could get this average by averaging the first 20 intervals. My first few intervals were .15625, .15625, .1875, .171875, etc; I could just add up the first 20 intervals and divide by 20 to get the average. However there is an easier and quicker way to get the result, so use the easier way if you can. NOTE: Spreadsheet calculations and other methods that disguise the process of finding the average are not valid answers to this question. Spreadsheets are perfectly legal for most data analysis, but not in this experiment.

Give your result, number only, in the first line, and starting in the second line explain how you got it.

average of quick-click intervals: .15625

explanation: This interval comes up the most on my table.

@&

The average interval you reported, which is the mode of the distribution, is a good representative of the data, and is valid as an average.

This is especially so since your data set included a number of what were obviously 'missed clicks', resulting in times like .28 seconds or .32 seconds. These outliers would have a big affect on the mean of the intervals.

Another good alternative to the mean would be to use the median.

It's not necessary to repeat this experiment (which is mainly an introduction to data-taking and a little statistical analysis) with a better data set, but note that on some experiments it can be necessary to repeat the data-taking process to get a valid data set.

*@

#$&*

When I did this activity the first few lines of my data were as follows:

event number clock time time interval

1 11.67188 11.67188

2 11.875 0.203125

3 12.0625 0.1875

4 12.20313 0.140625

5 12.375 0.171875

6 12.54688 0.171875

7 12.73438 0.1875

8 12.92188 0.1875

9 13.10938 0.1875

10 13.28125 0.171875

11 13.4375 0.15625

It looks like the same intervals keep popping up. For example .1875 seconds occurs 5 times out of the first 10 intervals, .171875 seconds occurs three times, and .203125 seconds, .140625 seconds and .15625 seconds each occur once.

A frequency distribution for my time intervals would be as follows:

time interval frequency

,140625 1

.15625 1

.171875 3

.1875 5

.203125 1

What different time intervals did you observe in your first 20 intervals, and how many times did each occur? List below the different time intervals you observed and the number of times each occurred. List from the shortest to the longest interval, and use a comma between the time interval and its frequency. For example my data above would be listed at

.140625, 1

.1565, 1

.171875, 3

.1875, 5

.203125, 1

The above list is called a frequency distribution. Be sure you make note of this terminology.

Your list should be in exactly the above format, with no other symbols or characters.

Your list (i.e., your frequency distribution):

.1328125, 1

.140625, 2

.1484375, 1

.15625, 6

.1640625, 5

.171875, 1

.1796875, 1

.2890625, 1

.3203125, 1

2.039063, 1

#$&*

You are welcome make any comments or ask any question about the process so far.

I am not sure if I am right on the first question. I am not sure if I am looking for the average of the seconds, or the average of the time between each push of the button. I put the average of the time between each push of the button, and I hope that that was the correct answer.

#$&*

@&

You were asked for the average of the time intervals, and that is what you reported.

It would be meaningless to average the clock times (i.e., the times reported by the 'running clock', in the middle column).

*@

On the 10 intervals I've shown you, do you really think I managed to get a time of .1875 seconds, accurate to 4 significant figures, on half of the intervals? If you do, I'm grateful for your confidence but I'm just not that good. No human being has that much neurological and muscular control.

So why do you think the TIMER program reported that time so frequently? Why weren't there times like .1830 seconds, or .1769 seconds? Does this mean that the TIMER program is flawed? Does that mean it's useless?

Why did the TIMER report .1875 seconds multiple times; your conclusions about the program:

I would conclude that the system might have a glitch in it, or it could possibly recognize double clicks. Aslo the program could have set numbers that the accurate count is rounded to, since the number of many of the intervals are reoccuring. I really don't know exactly why the system registers intervals that are humanly impossible to produce.

#$&*

Here are a few more lines of data, with an added column showing the difference between each time interval and the next.

clock time time interval difference from one time interval to next

9 13.10938 0.1875 -0.01563

10 13.28125 0.171875 -0.01563

11 13.4375 0.15625 0.03125

12 13.625 0.1875 -0.01563

13 13.79688 0.171875 0.015625

14 13.98438 0.1875 0.015625

15 14.1875 0.203125 -0.03125

16 14.35938 0.171875 -0.01563

17 14.51563 0.15625 0.03125

Take a good look at that last column and tell us what you see in those numbers, and what this tells you about the TIMER program:

The last column contains both positive and negative numbers. Aside from the negative and positive factors, there are only 3 reoccuring numbers that are present. These are .01563, .03125, and .015625.

#$&*

Now initialize the TIMER once more, and take a series of 10 relaxed breaths. Every time you start to inhale, hit the TIMER button.

My results for the first 7 complete breaths are as follows:

series of relaxed breaths

event number clock time time interval difference between time interval and next

1 1569.734 1569.734

2 1582.75 13.01563 0.32812

3 1596.094 13.34375 3.90625

4 1613.344 17.25 2.70313

5 1633.297 19.95313 1.35937

6 1654.609 21.3125 4.23438

7 1680.156 25.54688 2.15625

8 1707.859 27.70313

I didn't go on because the time between my breaths kept increasing, and I was afraid if I relaxed any more I might stop breathing altogether. It's going to take either more statistical analysis to determine whether that's a real danger, or a little common sense.

Report your results by just entering your time intervals, one to each line, in the box below. If I was entering my results I would enter

13.01563

13.34375

17.25

19.95313

21.3125

etc.

Enter your results in the same format:

4.34375

4.84375

4.90625

4.515625

3.765625

4.257813

4.914063

5.171875

4.375

#$&*

If you have any comments please insert them here

I may not have been as relaxed to get an answer like 13, but I felt like I was fairly relaxed.

#$&*

Most likely you did not observe the same exact time interval twice, and if you did it did not happen nearly as often as when you did the fact clicks.

Why do you think this is exactly what we would expect?

I think it is what we would expect because our breathing isn't down to an exact time frame. Each breath isn't on a time table of when it has to be breathed in and then released. It is more random and much less consistant.

#$&*

Which of the following statements do you think is the most accurate?

a. The TIMER program is capable of determining the time between two events accurately to within about .1 second.

b. The TIMER program is capable of determining the time between two events accurately to within about .01 second.

c. The TIMER program is capable of determining the time between two events accurately to within about .001 second.

d. The TIMER program is capable of determining the time between two events accurately to within about .0001 second.

Enter your answer and your reasoning below:

I would say C is the most accurate.

#$&*

@&

`` If the TIMER was accurate to within .001 second, then between, say, .12 seconds and .16 seconds there would be 40 possible time intervals (i.e., .120, .121, .122, ..., .158, .159, .160; you can count from .120 to .160 by .001 in half a minute).

If this was the case, then on 20 time intervals you would expect a few, but you wouldn't expect as many repetitions of the same interval as you reported.

*@

If you don't have a spreadsheet you should be able to easily access a free spreadsheet in order to do this last step. If you don't have time right now you can do this part later, and submit just a copy of this question and your response, using the Question Form .

If you don't know what text editor comes with your device (for Windows this would be Notepad), you should simple search the Web under 'text editing for ****' where **** is your device.

Note that this course is not intended to be run from a handheld device. Screens are too small to clearly see the necessary amount of content. However if either version of the TIMER runs on your handheld device and that device allows you the necessary functionality, it's fine to use it.

Note that the TIMER.exe program can save your data in a format that can be read by a spreadsheet (the TIMER applet cannot do so). This will be very handy in the future, so take a minute and do the following:

If you are using the TIMER.exe program:

1. Click on the button at the lower right of the TIMER form, entitled Click to File Data.

2. A box will pop up allowing you to include an identifying message. You should generally choose to include such a message; for the data presently on your timer that might be 'series of regular breaths time at beginning of inhalation' or something similar. Type in whatever you think would serve as a good identifier for this data and OK that box.

3. A typical Save As window will appear. Decide where to save your data and what to call it, and proceed to save it. The program will save the file as a comma-delimited text file.

4. Open your spreadsheet program (typically Excel) and choose File > Open. Browse to the folder in which you just saved your data. Below the File Name line will be a File Type line; set this either to Text Files or All Files so your file will appear. Open it.

5. A series of windows will typically appear. In the first window make sure the file type chosen is Delimited, the proceed to the next window.

6. In the second window you will see a series of checkboxes; check the one entitled Comma, in order to select the comma-delimited file, then just click on Finish.

If you are using the TIMER applet you can't do Steps 1-3. In this case:

Copy the contents of the program to a text file, using copy-and-paste. Just highlight the contents of the box, copy and past into a text file. Save the text file using any filename you wish. Then proceed with steps 4-6 above.

Your data should appear in your spreadsheet, and can be manipulated as in any spreadsheet.

Copy a few lines of the data from your spreadsheet below, and indicate what spreadsheet you are using:

series of regular breaths times at beginning of inhalation

event number clock time time interval

1 4628.797 4628.797

2 4633.141 4.34375

3 4637.984 4.84375

4 4642.891 4.90625

5 4647.406 4.515625

I used Excel for this.

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Good work, but see my notes for a few things you'll want to think about.

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