Biomechanics & sports
SHORTS ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q. Define friction?
Ans: Friction is the resistance that occurs when two surfaces come into contact and
move against each other, or when one surface attempts to move over the other. It acts
in the opposite direction of motion and can either slow down or prevent movement.
Q. Enumerate the laws of motion.
Ans: The three laws of motion are:
(i) Newton’s First Law of Motion: This law is also known as law of inertia.This law
states that a body at rest will remain at rest and a body in motion will remain in motion
at the same speed and in the same direction till any external force is applied on it to
change that state.
(ii) Newton’s Second Law of Motion: This law states that the acceleration of an object
is directly proportional to the force producing it and inversely proportional to its mass.
(ii) Newton’s Third Law of Motion: This law states that to every action, there is always
an equal and opposite reaction. This law describes what happen to a body when it
exerts a force on another body.
Q. what is the force of friction? Explain the types of friction.
Ans: The force acting along two surface in contact which opposes the motion of one
body over the others is called the force of friction. It is very important in sports. The
larger the area of contact between the surfaces, the greater is the force of friction. When
both the surfaces are smooth, the force of friction reduces to almost zero.
Two types of friction are:
(i) Static Friction: The opposing force that comes into play when one body tends to
move over the another surface but the actual motion has not yet started.
(ii) Dynamic Friction: It is friction between two surfaces that are in relative motion with
respect to each other. It is the opposing force that comes into play when one body is
actually moving over the surface of another body. Dynamic friction may be of two types,
i.e., sliding friction and rolling friction.
Q. Describe two types of equilibrium.
Ans: There are two types of equilibrium:
(i) Dynamic Equilibrium: The maintenance of body balance during various body
movements is called dynamic equilibrium. That motion is considered a prime element in
sports and in order to perform well and achieve success, maintenance of dynamic
equilibrium is very important.
(ii) Static Equilibrium: A position or state of equilibrium in stationary position is called
static equilibrium. The centre of body must fall within its base in order to achieve static
equilibrium.
Q. What do you understand by the concept of sports biomechanics?
Ans: Sports biomechanics is the study of the mechanical principles that govern human
movement during sports activities. It applies the principles of physics and engineering,
particularly mechanics, to understand how athletes perform motions and how these can
be optimized for improved performance and injury prevention.
Q. What is linear motion?
And: Linear motion refers to movement along a straight or curved path where all parts of
the object or body move in the same direction and at the same speed. In this type of
motion, the object or person moves from one point to another without any rotation.
Q. Differentiate between flextion and extension.
Flexion: Flexion is Extension
the movement that Extension is the
decreases the movement that
angle between two increases the angle
body parts or bones between two body
at a joint. parts or bones at a
joint, essentially
Examples:Elbow straightening the
flexion: Bending the joint.
elbow, bringing the Examples:
forearm towards Elbow extension:
the upper arm, like Straightening the
in a bicep curl. arm after a bicep
curl, moving the
forearm away from
Knee flexion: the upper arm.
Bending the knee,
moving the heel Knee extension:
toward the back of Straightening the
the thigh, such as knee, such as when
when preparing to standing up from a
kick. squat.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q. 1. What are the importance of biomechanics in sports?
Ans: Importance of biomechanics in sports:
(i) Improves performance in sports: Principles of biomechanics tell us about right
techniques, effective and result oriented posture to get more efficient results by applying
minimum muscular force which in turn improves performance in sports.
(ii) Improvement in technique: A sportsperson’s performance can be improved by
improving her/ his technique. The application of biomechanical principles can be applied
to improve technique in two ways. First, the coaches may use their knowledge of
biomechanics to rectify the errors made by the sportsperson in order to improve the
execution of a skill. Second, the sportsperson may discover a new and more effective
technique for executing a sports skill.
(iii) Development of improvement of sports equipment: The principles of
biomechanics are used to modify the sports equipments. For example, tee shirts, studs,
spikes, swimming costumes, hockey sticks, different size footballs and low weight
helmets for protection.
(iv) Improvement in training techniques: A teacher can analyze the player’s
movement or action with the help of the biomechanical principles. It helps in improving
the training techniques which helps us to get more results.
(v) Prevents sports injuries: It helps to find out the factors or the forces that can lead
to the injuries during the game situation. It also helps in prevention of the sports injury.
(vi) Helps in understanding human body: It gives the knowledge of different systems
of our body. For example, nervous system, muscular system and skeletal system.
Q. 2. What is Projectile? Explain the factors affecting projectile trajectory?
Ans: Projectile: An object thrown into the space either horizontally or an acute angle
under the action of gravity is called a projectile. There are forces which act on a
projectile gravitational force and air resistance. Air resistance of an object varies greatly
and it depends on the object’s particular shape and the atmospheric conditions in which
the object is released.
The factors affecting Projectile Trajectory are mentioned below:
(i) Angle of projection: An object which is projected at different angles covers different
distances. When it is projected or released at angle of 30, making it a parabolic path
and covers lesser distance. When it is projected at 60, it covers a distance less that 30.
When it is released at an angle of 45, makes a parabolic path and covers maximum
distance. So the distance covered by an object (short-put, hammer, javelin, discus etc.
depends on the angle of release of projectile)
(ii) Height of release: The higher the level of release, the greater distance is covered in
flight, this is because the higher projectile is released. The longer it will be in the air. The
horizontal component will be acting on the projectile for longer.
(iii) Speed of release: The speed or velocity is directly related to the distance covered
in flight. The speed of release depends on initial vertical velocity and initial horizontal
velocity. Having higher horizontal velocity will increase the length of flight time and
therefore the distance covered. This would be an advantage in sports which primarily
requires good distance in long jump, sky jump etc.
(iv) Gravity: Gravity acts on a body or object to give it mass. The greater the weight of
an object, the greater the influence of gravity upon it. Gravity will effect a projectile as
well as it will decrease the height, the projectile can obtain. For example:- a cricket ball
can be thrown at greater distance in comparison to shot put.
(v) Air Resistance: When a projectile moves through the air, it is slow down by an air
resistance. Air resistance decreases the horizontal component of a projectile. The effect
of air resistance is very small but it need to be taken into consideration if you want to
increase the horizontal components of a projectile. The factors are related to the
amount of air resistance acting on a projectile-mass, surface of the object, surface of
the volume ratio. Trajectory Initial Horizontal Velocity Vertical Component Initial Vertical
Velocity Horizontal Component.
(vi) Spin: The amount and direction of spin acting on a projectile will directly effect the
distance while travel.
Q. What is plane movement in sports biomechanics?
Ans: In sports biomechanics, plane movement refers to the direction and manner in
which the body or its parts move within three-dimensional space. The human body
moves through three primary planes, each of which is a flat, two-dimensional surface
that divides the body and defines specific types of movement. These planes are used to
describe and analyze movement patterns in various sports activities.
The three planes of movement are:
1. Sagittal Plane:
• Description: This plane divides the body into left and right halves.
• Movement: Movements in the sagittal plane involve forward and backward
motion, such as flexion (bending) and extension (straightening).
• Examples: Running, cycling, and forward lunges are common sports movements
in the sagittal plane.
2. Frontal (Coronal) Plane:
• Description: This plane divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior)
halves.
• Movement: Movements in the frontal plane involve side-to-side motion, such as
abduction (movement away from the midline) and adduction (movement toward the
midline).
• Examples: Side lunges, jumping jacks, and lateral raises are examples of
movements in the frontal plane.
3. Transverse Plane:
• Description: This plane divides the body into top (superior) and bottom (inferior)
halves.
• Movement: Movements in the transverse plane involve rotational or twisting
actions, such as internal (medial) and external (lateral) rotation.
• Examples: Rotational movements like swinging a golf club, a tennis forehand, or
turning your torso during a discus throw.
Q. With the help of suitable examples, discuss the application of newton’s law of
motion in sports.
Ans: Newton’s three laws of motion are fundamental principles in physics, and they
play a significant role in understanding and analyzing movements in sports. Here’s how
each of Newton’s laws applies to sports, with suitable examples:
1. Newton’s First Law (Law of Inertia)
Definition: A body will remain at rest or continue to move at a constant velocity unless
acted upon by an external force.
Application in Sports:
• In sports, this law explains why objects (or athletes) stay in motion or at rest until
a force intervenes.
• Example: A soccer ball remains stationary on the field until it is kicked. Once
kicked, it will keep moving in the same direction and at a constant speed until friction
from the grass, air resistance, or another player’s action (like stopping it) causes it to
slow down or stop.
2. Newton’s Second Law (Law of Acceleration)
Definition: The force acting on an object is equal to the mass of that object times its
acceleration (F = ma). This means that the more force applied to an object, the greater
its acceleration, but the mass of the object also influences how much it accelerates.
Application in Sports:
• In sports, athletes apply force to objects (balls, equipment) or their bodies to
accelerate or decelerate.
• Example: In shot put, an athlete applies force to the heavy shot (mass). The
greater the force the athlete applies, the further the shot will travel. However, due to the
shot’s large mass, a lot of force is needed to accelerate it, compared to a lighter object,
like a tennis ball.
3. Newton’s Third Law (Action and Reaction Law)
Definition: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that
when one object exerts a force on another, the second object exerts an equal and
opposite force back.
Application in Sports:
• This law explains how athletes generate motion and interact with surfaces or
other objects during sports activities.
• Example: In basketball, when a player jumps, they push down against the ground
with their feet. According to Newton’s third law, the ground pushes back with an equal
and opposite force, propelling the player upwards.
• Example: In swimming, when a swimmer pushes water backward with their
hands, the water pushes them forward. The harder the swimmer pushes, the faster they
move forward due to the reaction force from the water.
