EG3388 BIOMECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Spring 2018
EXAM # 1 REVIEW

1. Define BIOMECHANICS and the TWO applications to human movement

Study of the structure and function of biological systems using the methods of
mechanics.
1)The improvement of performance: Human performance can also be enhanced by
improvements in the design of equipment
2)The reduction or treatment of injury: Providing information on the mechanical properties of
tissues, mechanical loadings during movement, and preventative or rehabilitative therapies
2. Name and explain 4 of the fundamental biomechanics principles. Include 1 example for each.

1)Force–Motion principle: Unbalanced forces are acting on our bodies or objects when
we either create or modify movement. Example: In quiet standing the force of gravity is
balanced by ground reaction forces under our feet, so to move from this position a
person creates larger horizontal and vertical forces with their legs.
2)Force-Time principle: the amount of time over which force can be applied also affects
the resulting motion. Example: a person using a longer approach in bowling has more
time to apply forces to increase ball speed.
3) Range of Motion principle: is the overall motion used in a movement and can be specified by
linear or angular motion of the body segments. Example: a baseball pitcher taking a longer stride is
increasing the range of motion of the weight shift.

4) Balance principle: ability to control body position relative to some base of support.
Example: athletes in the starting blocks for sprints choose body postures with less
stability in favor of increased mobility in the direction of the race.
3. The following statement is NOT true about Anatomy:
a) In order to understand the origins of human movement, it is essential to understand
anatomy.
b) Studies the structure of the human body
c) Studies the function of different structures of the human body
d) Provides essential labels for musculoskeletal structures and joint motions relevant to human
movement
e) Descriptive field of study and is not, by itself, enough to explain the function of the
musculoskeletal system in movement
4. In the figure below name the three anatomical planes and axes:
1. Frontal plane 2. Transverse plane 3. Sagittal plane

5. Name the directional terms indicated in the pictures:

A. Lateral
E
B. Medial F
C. Proximal

D. Distal A
F. Superior (cranial) B H I
G. Inferior(caudal)

H. Anterior (Ventral)
C
I. Posterior(dorsal)

D
G

6. Match the words with their respective description:

a) Flexion (c) Motion into the extremes of the range of
motion
b) Extension (a) Decrease in joint angle
c) Hyper (f) Joint motions in the transverse plane.
Could be inward and outward
d) Abduction (e) Movement back toward the midline
e) Adduction (b) Motion increasing joint angle
f) Rotation (d) Motion of a segment away from the
midline
7. What is the definition of Kinematics?

Study of the description of motion including considerations of space and time

a) The study of the motion of a body or a system of bodies with consideration given to its mass or
the forces acting on it.
b) The branch of mechanics that studies the motion of a body or a system of bodies without
consideration given to its mass or the forces acting on it.
c) If the forces acting upon an object are balanced, then the acceleration of that object will be 0
m/s/s.
d) The branch of mechanics that is concerned with the effects of forces on the motion of a body or
system of bodies, especially of forces that do not originate within the system itself.
8. Complete the following statement:

motion__ is the change in position with respect to some frame of reference.

9. What is the difference between speed and velocity?

SPEED: How fast an object is moving without regard to direction. Speed is a scalar
quantity like distance, and most people have an accurate intuitive understanding of
speed.
VELOCITY: displacement or position change (a vector quantity) per time ratio.
10. What is the difference between distance and displacement?
a) Displacement is the distance between the start and end point only, distance is the distance
between the start and end point only.
b) Displacement is the total distance travelled along the path of motion, distance is the total
distance travelled along the path of motion.
c) Displacement is the total distance travelled along the path of motion, distance is the distance
between the start and end point only.
d) Displacement is the distance between the start and end point only, distance is the total
distance travelled along the path of motion.
11. How can we describe the motion of runner A? (Hint: Speed is also relative to frame of reference!)

The runner A is faster than B 1 m/s and slower then C 1.5 m/s. All are correct kinematic
descriptions of the speed of runner A.
12. If we hit a golf ball with an initial velocity of 41ms-2 and it takes 4.184s to reach maximum height,
what would the maximum height be? Take gravity to be 9. 8ms-2

Max height= Vi*t+0.5at2  (41*4.184) +(0.5*-9.8*4.1842) = 85.765=85.77m

a) 82.34m
b) 87.29m
c) 85.77m
d) 90.57m
13. Name and match the linear with their respective angular variables
a) θ: (c) a: Angular displacement
b) ω: (a) d: Angular velocity
c) α: (b) v: Angular acceleration
14. What are the two main factors that affect the range of a projectile (when ignoring air resistance)?
a) Vertical projection velocity and time of flight
b) Angle of release and time of flight
c) Horizontal projection velocity and time of flight
d) Horizontal projection velocity and angle of release
15. Why will a dimpled golf ball travel further than a smooth golf ball?
a) The dimpled golf ball creates a smaller area of turbulent air behind it which creates a
smaller area of low pressure so there will be less drag
b) The dimpled golf ball creates a larger area of turbulent air behind it which creates a larger
area of high pressure so there will be more drag
c) The smooth golf ball creates a smaller area of turbulent air behind it which creates a smaller
area of low pressure so there will be more drag
d) The smooth golf ball creates a larger area of turbulent air behind it which creates a larger
area of high pressure so there will be less drag
16. Which of these is not one of Newton's 3 laws of motion?
a) The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force causing it and is inversely
proportional to the mass of the object.
b) For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
c) A body will continue in a state of rest of uniform velocity unless acted upon by an external force.
d) A body moves in a circle about a point called the axis of rotation.
17. What is the definition of Kinetics?
a) The branch of mechanics that studies the motion of a body or a system of bodies without
consideration given to its mass or the forces acting on it.
b) The branch of mechanics that is concerned with the effects of forces on the motion of a
body or system of bodies, especially of forces that do not originate within the system itself.
c) The distance between the initial and final point of an object. It is a vector quantity having
both magnitude and direction.
d) The rate of change of displacement with respect to time.
1
18. What is the formula for Kinetic Energy? 𝐾𝐸 = 2 𝑚𝑣 2
19. If velocity is constant, acceleration is
a) Decreasing
b) Increasing
 c) Constant
d) Zero
20. Which body segment has the largest moment of inertia? Why?
a) Thigh
b) Forearm
c) Trunk
d) Arm
21. Law of Inertia states
a) When one object applies a force on a second object, the second object applies an equal and
opposite force onto the first object
b) An object will remain stationary or move with constant velocity until an external force is applied
to the object
c) A force will accelerate an object in the direction of the force, at a rate inversely proportional to
the mass of the object
22. Momentum depends on the mass and velocity of an object
23. True or False? The natural state of objects in motion is to slow down. Why?
FALSE! The natural state of motion is to continue whatever it is doing!
24. True or False? Do forces that act on an object act in the direction of the resultant motion of the
object?
FALSE! Muscle forces to precisely combine with external forces to create balance
25. True or False? An athlete with a small mass is easier to accelerate than an athlete with a larger
mass.
TRUE!
26. Name and briefly describe one method used to measure floor reaction forces

Force platform (or force plates): Force plates are often mounted in a floor to measure
the ground reaction forces that are equal and opposite to the forces people make
against the ground.
27. How would you design a golf club or a tennis racket (in terms of kinetics and kinematics principles)?

Adding mass to a golf club or tennis racket will make for faster and longer shots if the implement
can be swung with the same velocity at impact
28. What is Friction force (mention factors that affect it and how is it measured)?

Is the force resisting the sliding of the surfaces past each other: F = µ•FN
29. Why does playing on lower-friction courts represents a lower risk of injury?

On clay, limiting areas of high pressure and a longer braking step could facilitate sliding by
preventing sticking.
30. The following statement is NOT true about impulse
a) Human movement occurs over time, so many biomechanical analyses are based on movement-
relevant time intervals.
b) Impulse is the effect of force acting over time
c) Typical units are N•s2 and lb•s2
 d) Impulse can be visualized as the area under a force–time graph
31. The following statement is NOT true about momentum
a) Momentum (p) is calculated as the product of mass and acceleration
b) In movement, the momentum a person can generate, or dissipate in another object, is
dependent on how much force can be applied and the amount of time the force is applied
c) Newton realized that the mass of an object affects its response to changes in motion
d) Momentum is the vector quantity that Newton said describes the quantity of motion of an
object
32. What is the biomechanical principle related to the concepts of impulse and momentum?

Force–Time Principle
33. Explain which athlete is using the correct technique according to the Force-Time principle?

The softball catcher has increased the time and range of motion that can be used to slow down the
ball.

34. Who would you rather run into just before the goal line: a quickly moving defensive back or a very
large lineman not moving as fast?

the defensive back hurts the most because it is a very high-energy

collision, potentially adding injury to the insult of not scoring.
35. Explain points A, B and C in terms of Potential and Kinetic energy

A
B
C
A: Increase.

B: Decrease.

C: constant.

36. If a weight lifter has done 210.7J of work lifting a 50kg weight 0.43m from his shoulder in 0.7s, what
was his power?
a) 289W
b) 325W
c) 301W
d) 310W
P=W/t  210.7J/0.7s=301
37. TRUE or FALSE about the segmental interaction principle: Forces acting between the segments of a
body can transfer energy between segments

TRUE

FALSE

38. What is the importance of studying angular kinetics in biomechanics?

Useful to study of human movement because the motion of most human joints can
be described using one, two or three rotations.
of joint rotations and provides a quantitative way to determine the center of gravity of the human body.

39. The study of angular kinetics is related to the following biomechanics principles:
a) Balance
b) Inertia
c) Coordination
d) Segmental interaction
e) Force – motion
f) Force – time
g) Optimal projection
40. Calculate the torque for F1 and F2
T= F*d

41. Moment of inertia is the resistance to angular acceleration

42. What is the biomechanical reason why growing up during adolescence causes short-term
clumsiness?

Much of this phenomenon is related to motor control problems from large changes in limb
moment of inertia.
43. Who has a higher moment if inertia? Why? C

A B C

Dramatic differences in the moment of inertia for a human body in the sagittal plane for
different body segment configurations relative to the axis of rotation.
44. Name the angular analogues of Newton’s laws

The angular analogue of Newton's third law says that for every torque there is an equal
and opposite torque.
45. How do we call the following situation? ΣF = 0, Σ T = 0

Newton's second law accounts for both linear and angular conditions of static
equilibrium where the sum of forces and torques actin on an object equal to zero.
46. True or False about the Center of Gravity:

a) The center of gravity is the location in space where the weight (gravitational force) of an object
can be considered to act (T)

b) The center of gravity is located in a high-mass area and within the object itself (F)

c) The center of gravity of the human body can move around, because joints allow the masses of
body segments to move (T)

d) In the anatomical position, the typical location of a body's center of gravity in the sagittal plane
is at a point equivalent to 70 and 35% of the height for males and females, respectively (F)

47. Name some structural and weight distribution differences between men and women that account
for the differences of center of gravity

In the anatomical position, the typical location of a body's center of gravity in the sagittal
plane is at a point equivalent to 57 and 55% of the height for males and females,
respectively.

48. Describe the differences in base of support for A and B

___________________________________________________________________A-The base of support

is the two-dimensional area formed by the supporting segments or areas of the body. B- A large base of
support provides greater stability because there is greater area over which to keep the bodyweight

A B

49. What happens when the line of gravity falls outside the base of support?
 If the line of gravity falls outside the base of support, the gravitational torque tends to tip the body
over the edge of the base of support.

50. Explain the mechanical paradox of stability and mobility

The horizontal distance from the edge of the base of support to the center of gravity (line of action
of gravity) determines how far the weight must be shifted to destabilize a person. If the line of
gravity falls outside the base of support, the gravitational torque tends to tip the body over the edge
of the base of support.

SAMPLE PROBLEMS

1. How much compressive stress is present in the L1, L2 vertebral disk of a 625N woman, given
that approximately 45% of body weight is supported by the disk?
a. When she stands in anatomical position?
b. When she stands erect holding a 222N suitcase?

Assume the area of the vertebral disk to be a circle with a radius of 2.5 cm.

2. The coefficient of static friction between a tennis player's hand and her racket is 0.45. How hard
must she squeeze the racket if she wants to exert a force of 200 N along its longitudinal axis?
(Draw the FBD for the situation described in the problem).
3. Brent ran with the football 40 yards before being tackled. The straight-line distance between
where he began the run and was tackled was 32 yards. This line makes an angle of 24° with the
sideline.
a. What was Brent’s distance traveled?

40 yards

b. What was Brent’s displacement?

32 yards

c. How many yards did Brent gain from where he received the ball?

32 cos (24) = 29.23 yards

4. What advantages does a longer-limbed individual have in throwing and striking activities?

5. A therapist examines the range of motion of an athlete’s knee joint during rehabilitation from a
knee injury. At full extension, the angle between the shank and thigh is 178°. At full flexion, the
angle between the shank and thigh is 82°. During the test, the thigh was held in a fixed position
and only the shank moved. What was the angular displacement of the shank from full extension
to full flexion? Express your answer in degrees and radians.

6. To be a regulation basketball, the ball must be inflated in a way that when dropped from a
height of 6 ft, it returns to a height of 49-54 inches on the first bounce. What is the coefficient of
restitution for a ball that bounces to a height of 50 inches?

7. At the instant of takeoff, a 60-kg diver’s angular momentum about his transverse axis is 20
kg*m2/s. His radius of gyration about the transverse axis is 1.0 m at this instant. During the dive,
the diver tucks and reduces his radius of gyration about the transverse axis to 0.5 m.
a. At takeoff, what is the diver’s angular velocity about the transverse axis?
b. After the diver tucks, what is his angular velocity about the transverse axis?
c. What can you conclude about this situation?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. A 70-kg pole vaulter has a horizontal velocity of 8.8 m/s at the completion of his approach and
his center of gravity is 1.1 m high. Estimate how high he should be able to bring his center of
gravity if all of his kinetic and gravitational potential energy is converted to gravitational
potential energy. Ignore the mass of the pole in this problem.
1 1
𝐾𝐸 = 2 𝑚𝑣 2 = 2 (70)(8. 82 ) = 2710 J

𝐺𝑃𝐸𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 = −𝑚𝑔ℎ = −70(−9.8)(1.1) = 755 J

𝐸 = 2710 + 755 = 3465 J

𝐸 = 𝐺𝑃𝐸𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 = −𝑚𝑔ℎ
𝐺𝑃𝐸𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 3465
ℎ= = = 5.05 m
−𝑚𝑔 −70(−9.8)

9. What can a hurdler do to minimize the amount of vertical effort in clearing a hurdle?

By positioning the body in a way to keep the center of mass clearance as low as possible,

the hurdler will not need to jump as high. This can be done by bringing the lead leg up

parallel to the ground, the trunk and arms relatively low, and getting the trail leg to have a

minimal clearance of the hurdle.

10. What could a gymnast do to increase her stability when she is landing on the balance beam from
a flip?.
 Maximize the base of support. Placing the feet in a way to have a large base of support will increase
stability.
 Lower the center of gravity at landing by flexing at the knees and hip and creating a low arm position.
 Wrap the feet around the beam slightly to add the ability to produce larger torques in opposition to a
potential falling direction.