Bio-mechanics Help (Centripetal and Tangential acceleration)

[wit13]

this is the question:

Pick joint of the human body. With reference to this joint and the concepts of tangential and centripetal acceleration, provide an example and explain:

A. an activity in which tangential acceleration is zero, centripetal is non-zeroB. an activity in which centripetal acceleration is zero, tangential is non-zero.Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[256bits]

You do know what tangential and centripital acceleration are, or is that where you are stumped.

I would try to pick an activity or joint, and try to determine the forces their direction acting on that joint. Are the forces predominantly along the bones at the joint, or perpendicular to the joint causing a moment or twisting. There would have to b some movement of the joint. Just pushing on a wall may give a force on a joint but no acceleration.

Activities are:
running, jumping, weight lifting, horseback riding, throwing a ball, sitting, watching television, walking, picking a paperclip off the floor, playing on a swing, eating, race car driving, swimming, dancing, snapping your fingers, doing hula-hoop, typing on a keyboard, ...

joints: knuckles, wrists, elbow, shoulder( ball socket), neck, jaw, spine, hip, ...

Activity: running
Joint: knee, thigh, ankle
Acceleration at joint: centripital, tangential or both
Explain :

activity: weight lifting
Joint: shoulder, elbow
Accel : ??
Expalin:

Etc:

 

[wit13]

thanks for your help, I ended up digging up my physics book for a little refresher.

I was having trouble visualizing how the forces with work with respect to the joints

 

[256bits]

I think it is a tough problem, but say you want to build an artificial hand. You would need to know what forces are acting on the joints so it doesn't end up looking like that thing from "Hell Boy"

 

[rwisz]

As a scientist with a background in bio-mechanics, I can provide some insight into the concepts of tangential and centripetal acceleration and how they relate to a specific joint in the human body.

Tangential acceleration is the rate of change of tangential velocity, which is the speed at which an object is moving along a curved path. Centripetal acceleration, on the other hand, is the acceleration directed towards the center of the circular path an object is moving along.

For the purpose of this response, let's consider the knee joint as our reference joint. When we walk, run, or engage in any activity that involves movement of our lower limbs, our knee joint experiences both tangential and centripetal acceleration.

A. An example of an activity in which tangential acceleration is zero, but centripetal acceleration is non-zero, could be standing still on a skateboard while holding onto a pole. In this scenario, the skateboard is moving along a circular path, and the person's body is experiencing centripetal acceleration towards the center of the circle. However, since the person is not pushing off or moving their legs, there is no change in tangential velocity, resulting in zero tangential acceleration.

B. On the other hand, an example of an activity in which centripetal acceleration is zero, but tangential acceleration is non-zero, could be riding a bicycle on a straight path. In this case, the bicycle is moving in a straight line, so there is no centripetal acceleration. However, as the cyclist pedals, the tangential velocity of the wheels and pedals changes, resulting in non-zero tangential acceleration.

In summary, the concepts of tangential and centripetal acceleration are always present in the movement of our joints, including the knee joint. Understanding these concepts can help us better understand and analyze human movement and the forces acting on our joints during various activities.