Teacher Demonstration
Use the live model as a shared screen demonstration before students try their own predictions and observations.
Physics / Newtonian Mechanics
Traffic Light Reaction Time Simulator
Explore Traffic Light Reaction Time Simulator as an interactive EJS simulation for mechanics.
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1. Watch or Launch
Launch the Interactive
Open the simulation, adjust the controls, and compare what changes on screen before answering the concept-check questions.
2. Big Ideas
Key idea Reaction-time models connect perception, decision, and motion. The distance travelled during a delay depends on speed and response time.
What Students Can Learn
- Distinguish reaction time from braking or motion time.
- Connect speed, time, and distance.
- Use repeated trials to discuss variability.
- Recognise why distraction increases stopping distance.
Guiding Question
How does a longer reaction time change the distance travelled before responding?
3. Try the Investigation
Run Several Trials
Collect more than one reaction time instead of trusting a single attempt.
Compare Delays
Observe how response delay affects distance travelled.
Connect to Speed
Use distance = speed x time to explain the result.
Discuss Variation
Compare repeated trials and identify why reaction time changes.
4. Teacher Notes
Lesson Use
Use this for everyday kinematics and road-safety reasoning. The key idea is that motion continues during the reaction delay.
Discussion Prompts
Ask: What distance is travelled before the response begins? Why do repeated trials vary? How would higher speed change the result?
Teaching Moves
Ask students to estimate distance travelled during a one-second delay at different speeds.
5. Concept Check
These questions are generated from the topic and the concept illustrated by the simulation. Use them after students have explored the model.
Concept Score
Correct first attempts build a streak and unlock higher point multipliers on this device.
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0current streak
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Answer each question once to build your streak.
1. What is reaction time?
2. During reaction time, a moving object...
3. What equation links distance, speed, and reaction time?
4. Why repeat reaction-time trials?
5. What increases thinking distance?
Expert Challenge
Unlocks after 3 correct concept-check answers on this page.
1. A car travels at constant speed during a driver's reaction time. What distance is covered before braking starts?
2. Why should reaction-time trials be repeated?
3. A student uses km/h directly with seconds to calculate thinking distance. What should they check?
4. What factor increases thinking distance but not the driver's actual reaction time?
5. What is the best feedback for 'the vehicle stops immediately when the driver reacts'?
7. Learning Pulse
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