Fundamentals of Biomechanics

L-14 FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOMECHANICS
LAB ACTIVITY 6A
TOP GUN KINETICS: FORCE–MOTION PRINCIPLE
Newton's laws of motion explain how forces create motion in objects. The application principle related
to Newton's second law is the Force–Motion Principle. The purpose of this lab is improve your understanding
of Newton's laws of motion. As a candidate for the prestigious “Top Gun” kinetic scooter
pilot in biomechanics class, you must not only perform the missions but use kinetics to explain your
scooter's flight. Biomechanics Top Gun is like a Naval Top Gun in that skill and knowledge are required
to earn the honor. It is important that you follow the instructions for each mission explicitly.
Care should be taken by pilots and their ground crew to perform the task correctly and safely. Note
that your multimillion-dollar scooters provide low (not quite zero) friction conditions, so you need to
move/push briskly so you can ignore the initial effects of friction. Kinetics explains all motion: from
scooters, braces, rackets, jump shots, to muscle actions. Think about the forces, what directions they
act, and the motion observed in each mission. This lab is roughly based on a lab developed by Larry
Abraham (Abraham, 1991).
BACKGROUND READING
Chapter 6 herein: “Linear Kinetics”
Abraham, L. D. (1991). Lab manual for KIN 326: Biomechanical analysis of movement. Austin, TX.
TASKS
1. Using your multimillion-dollar scooters, ropes, and spring/bathroom scales, perform the following
training missions:
— Sit on the scooter and maximally push off from a wall (afterburner check). Experiment with various
body positions and techniques.
— Sit on your scooter and push off from a partner on another scooter.
— Loop a rope over a bathroom scale held by a partner on a scooter. Sit on your scooter and pull your
partner, who passively holds the scale, and note the largest force exerted.
— Repeat the last mission, but have your partner also vigorously pull on the scale.
2. Answer the questions.
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