#$&*
Phy 232
Your 'timer program' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.
** #$&* Your General Comment **
Time Program
** #$&* Describe what you see on your first 10 clicks **
30 minutes
** #$&*Your TIMER data from 20 fast clicks **
Follow the instructions, fill in your data and the results of your analysis in the given format.
Regularly save your document to your computer as you work.
When you have completed your work:
Highlight the contents of the text editor, and copy and paste those contents into the indicated box at the end of this
form.
Click the Submit button and save your form confirmation.
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.
Every time I clicked click to time event I would get a time event data number, clock time, and time interval. The
time even would increase as the clock time event increased. The time interval was different.
#$&*
Now click on Initialize Counter, which will clear all the data from the timer window. Click the mouse as fast as you
can until the TIMER window fills up. Be sure you get at least 20 time intervals.
If you miss a click, try again. Keep trying until you get at least 20 intervals without a missed or delayed click.
Copy your data starting in the next line:
1 , 590.8047 , 590.8047
2 , 590.9844 , 0.1796875
3 , 591.1563 , 0.171875
4 , 591.3438 , 0.1875
5 , 591.5547 , 0.2109375
6 , 591.7109 , 0.15625
7 , 591.8906 , 0.1796875
8 , 592.0625 , 0.171875
9 , 592.2422 , 0.1796875
10 , 592.4063 , 0.1640625
11 , 592.5938 , 0.1875
12 , 592.7891 , 0.1953125
13 , 592.9531 , 0.1640625
14 , 593.1406 , 0.1875
15 , 593.3281 , 0.1875
16 , 593.4766 , 0.1484375
17 , 593.6719 , 0.1953125
18 , 593.8438 , 0.171875
19 , 594.0469 , 0.203125
20 , 594.2734 , 0.2265625
21 , 594.4531 , 0.1796875
22 , 594.6563 , 0.203125
23 , 594.7969 , 0.140625
24 , 594.9844 , 0.1875
25 , 595.1563 , 0.171875
26 , 595.3281 , 0.171875
27 , 595.5313 , 0.203125
28 , 595.7109 , 0.1796875
29 , 595.8906 , 0.1796875
30 , 596.0781 , 0.1875
31 , 596.3125 , 0.234375
32 , 596.4844 , 0.171875
33 , 596.6641 , 0.1796875
34 , 596.8359 , 0.171875
35 , 597.0391 , 0.203125
36 , 597.2266 , 0.1875
37 , 597.3984 , 0.171875
38 , 597.75 , 0.3515625
39 , 597.9453 , 0.1953125
40 , 598.1484 , 0.203125
41 , 598.4375 , 0.2890625
#$&*
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.
Give your result, number only, in the first line, and starting in the second line explain how you got it.
0.182421875
I copied the data starting from event time number 2 and pasted it into an excel sheet. I Average(C2:c21) by using
Exce 2010 software.
@& That is not the most efficient way to find the result, and it also doesn't demonstrate any insight into the process of finding the mean. I don't consider the latter to be the problem; certainly you understand how to find a mean.
However it is more efficient and more profitable to use your insight into what the numbers are telling you: If you subtract the first clock time from the last and divide by the appropriate number you should get the same result, and you should do so. If your result doesn't agree with the result given by Excel you should submit a copy of your data, tell me what the discrepancy is, and tell me what you think might be going on.
If you do use Excel you should give an explanation of what you would do if you didn't have Excel handy, and also into whether the result makes sense. You can be brief about this, but this ensures that you are thinking rather than letting the machine think for you.
Excel certainly should be used when you are doing calculations with large data sets. It makes no sense to do the same trivial calculation tens or hundreds of times, and Excel provides an efficient way of doing this. But you need to always provide an explanation.
*@
#$&*
When I did this activity the first few lines of my data were as follows:
event number clock time time interval
1 11.67188 11.67188
2 11.875 0.203125
3 12.0625 0.1875
4 12.20313 0.140625
5 12.375 0.171875
6 12.54688 0.171875
7 12.73438 0.1875
8 12.92188 0.1875
9 13.10938 0.1875
10 13.28125 0.171875
11 13.4375 0.15625
It looks like the same intervals keep popping up. For example .1875 seconds occurs 5 times out of the first 10
intervals, .171875 seconds occurs three times, and .203125 seconds, .140625 seconds and .15625 seconds each occur
once.
A frequency distribution for my time intervals would be as follows:
time interval frequency
,140625 1
.15625 1
.171875 3
.1875 5
.203125 1
What different time intervals did you observe in your first 20 intervals, and how many times did each occur? List
below the different time intervals you observed and the number of times each occurred. List from the shortest to the
longest interval, and use a comma between the time interval and its frequency. For example my data above would be
listed at
.140625, 1
.1565, 1
.171875, 3
.1875, 5
.203125, 1
Your list should be in exactly this format, with no other symbols or characters.
0.1484375, 1
0.15625, 1
0.1640625, 2
0.171875, 3
0.1796875, 4
0.1875, 4
0.1953125, 2
0.2109375, 1
0.2265625, 1
#$&*
You may make any comments or ask any question about the process so far in the box below
N/A
#$&*
On the 10 intervals I've shown you, do you really think I managed to get a time of .1875 seconds, accurate to 4
significant figures, on half of the intervals? If you do, I'm grateful for your confidence but I'm just not that
good. No human being has that much neurological and muscular control.
So why do you think the TIMER program reported that time so frequently? Why weren't there times like .1830 seconds,
or .1769 seconds? Does this mean that the TIMER program is flawed? Does that mean it's useless?
I think the timer rounds up certain times and your time intervals might have been really close to .1875 seconds.
@& Actually I believe the TIMER rounds down to the last 'tick' of the computer clock, which 'ticks' 64 times per second. *************@
Also, in my systems there can be systematic errors and random errors.
#$&*
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
We can see that the time difference from one time interval to the next interchanges going from negative to positive.
These differences also repeat themselves happening:
-0.01563, 3 times
.03125, 2 times
-.03125, 1 time
.015625, 2 time
#$&*
Now initialize the TIMER once more, and take a series of 10 relaxed breaths. Every time you start to inhale, hit the
TIMER button.
My results for the first 7 complete breaths are as follows:
series of relaxed breaths
event number clock time time interval difference between time interval and next
1 1569.734 1569.734
2 1582.75 13.01563 0.32812
3 1596.094 13.34375 3.90625
4 1613.344 17.25 2.70313
5 1633.297 19.95313 1.35937
6 1654.609 21.3125 4.23438
7 1680.156 25.54688 2.15625
8 1707.859 27.70313
I didn't go on because the time between my breaths kept increasing, and I was afraid if I relaxed any more I might
stop breathing altogether. It's going to take either more statistical analysis to determine whether that's a real
danger, or a little common sense.
Report your results by just entering your time intervals, one to each line, in the box below. If I was entering my
results I would enter
13.01563
13.34375
17.25
19.95313
21.3125
etc.
Enter your results in the same format:
5.031006
4.951996
6.368988
4.496002
3.766022
5.43399
4.375
4.399994
5.431
3.457001
#$&*
If you have any comments please insert them here:
I am a little concern why my time intervals are much less than yours. I think it might be because I have just consumed a large coffee. I hope this does not affect my grade.
#$&*
Most likely you did not observe the same exact time interval twice, and if you did it did not happen nearly as often
as when you did the fact clicks.
Why do you think this is exactly what we would expect?
I think the time intervals are much less since we are taking a relaxed breath, which might be sometimes longer or less time each click.
#$&*
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:
a.
I think answer a is much accurate because of what were the outcomes between clicking fast and taking breaths and clicking when inhaling.
@& The differences in time intervals were all multiples of the same number, that number being about .015 seconds. This indicates the the TIMER is probably accurate to within about .01 second.*@
#$&*
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:
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 can't run the .exe program, you can't do Steps 1-3. However all you need to do is copy the contents of the
program to a text file, using copy-and-paste. Save that 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:
Breaths
event number,clock time,time interval
1 , 18.08301 , 18.08301
2 , 19.25101 , 1.167999
3 , 21.347 , 2.095993
4 , 23.146 , 1.798996
5 , 24.715 , 1.569
6 , 26.65201 , 1.937012
7 , 28.85901 , 2.207001
8 , 32.291 , 3.431992
9 , 35.00301 , 2.712006
10 , 37.69901 , 2.695999
11 , 40.00301 , 2.304001
12 , 42.51401 , 2.511002
13 , 45.291 , 2.776993
14 , 47.907 , 2.615997
15 , 50.563 , 2.656006
#$&*
Your instructor is trying to gauge the typical time spent by students on these experiments. Please answer the
following question as accurately as you can, understanding that your answer will be used only for the stated purpose
and has no bearing on your grades:
Approximately how long did it take you to complete this experiment?
30 minutes
self-critique rating
*#&!
&#Good responses. See my notes and let me know if you have questions. &#
@& *@