Warmup 1/13/16
What’s the lightest touch you think you can feel? Do you
think that varies depending on where on your body that
skin is?
Objective
To find ways of measuring
the sensitivity of skin
Tonight’s Homework
Finish lab write up by next
Monday
Skin Sensitivity Lab
The job of this lab is simple: find a way of measuring the
sensitivity of the skin for several parameters:
- Heat
- Cold
- Pressure
- Pain (mild)
- Touch resolution
(how closely together you can feel 2 pinpricks at once
while still being able to tell there are 2 of them)
Before starting this lab, answer the questions below:
1) How can we quantify a feeling of heat, cold, pressure,
pain, or resolution? Come up with a measurable idea for
each.
(For example: one could measure pressure by taking a
spring scale and pushing it against the arm of a
blindfolded participant. Come up with something
different!)
Skin Sensitivity Lab
2) Do you think all body parts will respond with the same
sensitivity? Which are the most and least sensitive?
Do you think all people respond with the same level of
sensitivity? How will you address this in your lab?
You are allowed to use any method in determining the
precision of these touch receptors, but make sure to
document your experiments. Make sure your analysis is
quantifiable – there should be numbers involved, not just
vague feelings! Your conclusion should include your
thoughts on why you think God gave Man the levels of
sensitivity that He did.