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Design an activity to measure the pulse rate of your friends — the number of times the pulse beats in one minute. Then think of an activity in which you use your own pulse, instead of a clock, to measure time. Develop a short story around this idea — for example, a traveller with no watch who counts pulse beats to keep track of time.
Show Answer
A resting pulse beats at a fairly steady rate, so it can act as a rough natural clock.
Key Points
- Count the pulse beats for one minute using a stopwatch — this gives the pulse rate.
- For most children the pulse rate is about 70 to 90 beats per minute.
- At rest the pulse is fairly steady, so a fixed number of beats marks a fixed time.
- A traveller with no watch could count pulse beats to estimate how much time has passed.
- Long ago, scientists also used the pulse to time events before accurate clocks existed.
Because it repeats steadily, the pulse can be used as a simple measure of time.
