Motion
What does motion refer to in human movement?
The movement of the body or an object from one position to another.
What is balance?
The ability to maintain control of body position.
What is a force?
A push or pull.
What is a fluid?
A substance that can flow, such as water or air.
What is biomechanics?
The study of how forces and mechanical principles affect human movement.
Name one example of motion in sport.
A sprinter moving towards the finish line.
Name one factor that can improve stability.
Wider base of support / lower centre of mass.
Give one example of force being used in sport.
A soccer player kicking a ball.
Name one sport where fluid mechanics has a major influence.
Swimming.
Name the four biomechanical principles studied in this topic.
Motion; balance and stability; force; fluid mechanics.
What is the difference between speed and velocity?
Speed describes how fast something moves; velocity includes both speed and direction.
Why does a basketball player usually bend their knees when preparing to land?
It lowers their centre of mass and helps improve stability and control.
How do muscles contribute to force production during movement?
Muscles contract and produce force, which is transferred through tendons to bones.
What type of resistance does a swimmer experience from the water?
Fluid resistance/drag.
A basketball player lands from a jump and keeps their feet shoulder-width apart. Which biomechanical principle is being applied?
Balance and stability.
A sprinter accelerates from the starting blocks. Explain how force contributes to their motion.
The sprinter pushes against the ground, producing force that helps accelerate the body forward.
A gymnast stands on one foot. Explain why they are less stable than when standing on two feet.
Their base of support is smaller, making it harder to maintain their centre of mass over the base of support.
A sprinter wants to accelerate faster from the starting blocks. How could force production help?
Producing greater force against the ground can increase acceleration.
Why do swimmers try to maintain a streamlined body position?
To reduce resistance from the water and move more efficiently
Explain how biomechanical principles can help an athlete perform a movement more safely.
They can help athletes improve balance, control force, reduce unnecessary stress and use efficient movement techniques.
A cyclist increases their speed while travelling around a bend. Explain how motion is changing.
The cyclist is changing both their speed and direction, meaning their velocity is changing.
A rugby player wants to remain stable when being tackled. Explain two changes they could make to increase stability.
They could widen their base of support and lower their centre of mass by bending their knees.
Explain the relationship between muscles, bones, joints and force during a soccer kick.
Muscles contract to produce force, which is transferred through tendons to bones. The bones move around joints, producing the kicking movement.
Explain how fluid mechanics can influence movement efficiency in swimming.
Reducing drag allows the swimmer to move through the water with less resistance, meaning less force is wasted and movement becomes more efficient.
A swimmer wants to improve their performance. Explain how force and fluid mechanics could both influence their movement.
The swimmer needs to produce enough force against the water to propel themselves forward, while reducing fluid resistance/drag allows them to move more efficiently.