Biomechanics and Sports (CH-8)

INTRODUCTION
Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological systems. It also
refers to the human movements, it includes the interaction between the athlete, sport
equipment and the exercise environment. It is the study of forces and their effects on
living systems. Athletes are always trying to find ways to get faster, higher and
stronger with minimal injuries.
Or
Biomechanics is derived from Greek word 'Bio' and 'mechanics'. Bio means living
things and mechanics is a field of Physics. Thus it is a branch of science which
deals with the forces related to body movements.
Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological system by
means of methods of mechanics."

Newton's Laws of Motion and its Application in Sports (Topic -1)

1. Law of Inertia: It is the first law of motion. "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
unless acted on by an external force."
Application in Sports:
● when the ball, javelin or shot put is thrown, it becomes static after falling on
the ground. This is because gravitational force, air resistance and friction

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 are working on it. Through the above example, it is clear that the position of
an object will not change without using external force.
● A football placed at penalty point will remain at rest unless a player kicks the
ball (forced applied) to move the ball toward goal post.
● It will move in the direction where the player had exerted the force through
kick.
2. Law of Acceleration: This is the second law of motion by Newton. According to
this law, "A change in acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force
producing it and inversely proportional to its mass."
F= ma
Application in Sports:
● In order to throw the ball, the speed of the ball is as fast as the player moves
his hand.
● The speed of the swimmer will be as fast as he will move his hands and the
force he uses.
● Similarly the hammer will go as fast as the person throwing the hammer
throws it with the force.
● A volleyball player pushed the ball slowly for a drop whereas hits the ball hard
for a smash.
● In a shot put event a player who exert more force and tosses the shot-put at
correct angle has greater displacement of shot-put, whereas a player who
exerts less force has lesser displacement of shot-put.
● If a player improves leg strength through training while maintaining the same
body mass, they will have an increased ability to accelerate the body using
the legs, resulting in better agility and speed.

3. Law of Reaction: It is the third law of motion. According to this law, "For every
action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction."
In simple words, every action (force) there is an equal and opposite reaction force
● This means that forces do not act alone, but occur in equal and opposite
pairs between interacting bodies.
Application in Sports:
● The force with which a ball in basketball is pushed towards ground while
dribbling, the ball bounces at the same speed.
● While taking a start, the force with which a runner pushes the ground or
starting block, he starts his race at the same speed.
● The force with which a jumper jumps for a high jump, he will be successful
in jumping high.
● The force created by the legs "pushing" against the ground results in ground
reaction forces in which the ground "pushes back" and allows the player to
move across the court.

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Compare Newton's three laws of motion.
Newton's first law Newton's second law Newton's
third law

This law is also known as law of This law states that the This law
inertia. This law states that a acceleration of an object states that to
body at rest will remain at rest is directly proportional to every action,
and a body in motion will remain the force producing it and there is
in motion at the same speed and inversely proportional to always an
in the same direction till any its mass. equal and
external force is applied on it to opposite
change that state. reaction.

EQUILIBRIUM (Topic -2)

"Equilibrium refers to the state of any object when all forces acting upon it result in
zero change of motion for the object.In other words, when the sum of all forces is
zero, the object is in a state of equilibrium." Types of Equilibrium

Static Equilibrium Dynamic Equilibrium

When the sum of forces acting upon When all the forces acting on an object
the object and sum of the movement are balanced, and the body is in
1 acting upon the body is both equal to motion, then the body is said to be in
zero, then the body is said to be in dynamic equilibrium.
static equilibrium.

Static balance is maintaining Dynamic balance is maintaining

equilibrium when stationary. e.g. Yoga. equilibrium when moving. e.g. jump
2 shot in basketball.

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 e.g. A gymnast performing T position e.g. A cycle is moving with uniform
3 on the balancing beam, because the velocity.
gymnast is not making any movement.

Application of Equilibrium in Sports

● Two people balancing on a see-saw.

● the athletes maintain stability by lowering the centre of gravity by bending

their knees.
● Boxers can lose balance if they shift their weight on heels because the centre
of gravity must fall within the line of base of support for greater stability.
● Dynamic equilibrium is required by a tennis player to change his position
after hitting a shot.
Principles of Equilibrium

1. More Base, More Stability: When a person tries to pull another person, then, to
maintain equilibrium,
the other person tries to bend his knees downward and widen his legs, which
makes the centre of gravity of his body move downwards. This brings more
equilibrium.

High C.O.G and Less Stability. Low C.O.G and More Base More Stability

2- Lower Centre of Gravity: More stability occurs when the centre of gravity is lower.
Stability of a person lying down is much more than a seated person because in the
lying down position, centre of gravity lies in a more lower level.

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Low C.O.G and Line of C.O.G Lower C.O.G. and Large Base of Support
in the Centre of Base

3. Direction of Impending Motion: Stability can be increased by placing the centre of

gravity on the edge of the base of the applied force knowing the direction of the
applied force.

Line of C.O.G at the Edge of Base of Support (Least Stable)

Centre of Gravity:(Topic -3)

● Centre of gravity is a point at which a body balances or the point at which the
weight of the body is equally distributed.
● The centre of gravity is the average location of the weight of an object.
● The position of the centre of gravity changes depending upon the position of
the body or object.

Application in sports:
● In sports like wrestling and the athletes maintain stability by lowering the
centre of gravity by bending their knees.
● A jumper's centre of gravity must lie on the base of support for greater stability
while take-off.
Friction and Sports (Topic-4)
Friction is a speed resistant force which is generated by the contact of two
planes. It means that "the force which is generated on coming in close contact

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of the planes of two objects, and which changes the speed of object is called
friction."
● As per the law of motion "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
unless acted on by an internal force"
● This law is adequately right but in practice it seems otherwise or opposite.
For example, when a cricket ball or hockey ball hit, it move very fast in the same
direction of force on the ground. But after some time its motion become less and
finally it comes to a static position.
● Its shows that there is a some invisible force (external force) that opposes the
motion of the objects. Thus, this opposing force is called friction.

There are two cause of friction firstly, the roughness or irregularities of surface and
secondly, the strong atomic or molecular forces of attraction between the two surface
at the points of actual contact.
Types of Friction: Two types of Fraction
1-Static Fraction 2- Dynamic / Kinetic Fraction
1- Static Fraction: Static friction is when a force is applied to an object but it doesn't
cause it to move.
When an object starts moving on the surface of the other object, but the real
movement has not started yet, is called static friction.
Example-
● pushing a wall static friction comes in to play when a body is forced to move
along a surface but movement does not start.
● when you hit a cricket ball with a bat, or a
● tennis ball with racket,
● or in rock climbing where hand and feet are static.
The magnitude of static friction remains equal to there applied external force and
true direction of motion.
The magnitude of static friction depends upon coefficient of static friction and net
normal reaction of the body .

2. Dynamic Friction:
● When an object starts moving on the surface of the other object and is in the
dynamic condition, it is called dynamic friction.
● Dynamic friction is a divergent force that comes into action when one body is
in reality movingover the surface of one more body.
It is of two types-Sliding and Rolling:
i- Sliding Friction: When an object slides on the surface of the other object, the
force used in both the surfaces is called sliding friction. For example, ice skating, in
pole vault, planting the pole, fraction produced while rubbing hands.
II- Rolling Friction: This force is used on an object which is in rolling motion on

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some surface. It means one object starts rolling on the surface.
For example, riding a motorcycle , a ball bearing, any ball rolling on the

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ground.
● Rolling friction force is a force that slows down the motion of a rolling object.
● Basically it is a combination of various friction forces at the point of contact of
wheel and ground and surface.
● When a hard object moves along a hard surface than static and molecular
friction force retard it motion.
● When soft object moves over a hard surface then its distortion makes it to
slow down.

The advantages and disadvantages of friction force depend upon the

situation.
● Helps to Move : Friction force helps to move the object by friction. It helps in
running, walking w friction of feet / shoes on surface.
● Stops the Moving Object : It helps to stop the moving object.
● Hold or Grip an Object : With the help of friction the ridges of skin on our
fingers and palm enal us to grasp and hold objects.
● Makes Movement Difficult : Any time you want to move an object, friction
can make the more difficult. Excess friction can make it difficult to slide a box
across the floor, walk through deep snow.
● Waste of Energy : Excess friction means extra energy, to overcome from
friction we have to ap more force or energy thus, energy is being wasted
because of friction.
● Wear and Tear of Objects : Due to friction there is wear and tear of objects.
Lubrication is used allow parts to move easier.
● Keeps the Objects at Position : By friction, the objects can be placed at
position.
Significance of friction in Sports:
● Friction is usually called a necessary evil.
● Without friction we cannot perform better in the field of games and sports.
● The players use spikes and shoes with nails to have appropriate friction while
they run fast.
● As per that weightlifters also use line on palms before holding the bar in jerk
and snatch.
● On the other hands friction is disadvantageous in some of the sports and
games such as in cycling, there should not be more friction between road and
tyres of the cycle.
● If there is no more friction there will be more wastage of energy of the rider.
Projectile in Sports
Projectile: When an object is thrown into space at an acute or horizontal angle
and under the action of gravity, it is called a projectile.
● The path through which the projectile passes is called trajectory or Parabola.

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 ● In projectile the angle of release is equal to angle of fall and it follows the
parabolic path.

Factor Affection Projectile's Trajectory

. Angle of projection:-
An object which is projected at different angles covers different distance.

When it is projected or released at angle of 25*, making it a parabolic path and coves lesser
distance. When it is released at angle of 42* & 45*, makes a parabolic path and covers.

Maximum distance so the distance covered by an object (Shot Put, Hammer, Javelin, Discus
etc. depends on the

2. Projection height relevant to the landing surface:-

If the projection height and landing surface are equal the thing should be release/thrown at
an angle of 42o to 45o it cover maximum distance.

If the level of landing surface is more than projection height the angle shall be increased i.e.
should be more than 45o.So thing are cover a maximum distance.

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If the level of Landing surface is less than projection height the angle of projection should be
decreased. I.e. should be less the 45*.

The things are cover maximum distance.

So the distance of horizontal depends upon the relevancy of projection height and landing
surface. The things are cover maximum distance.

3. Initial velocity:- The distance covered by on object depends on the initial velocity of the
projectile.

If the initial velocity is more, the object covers maximum distance.

And if the initial velocity is less the object covers less distance.

Gravity:-

It is the force of attraction exerted by the earth towards the object’s.

A Leaner object, if projected will have longer elevation in companion to a light weight object
with the same force.

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Gravity affects a projectile as it decreases the height of the force of gravity acts on the object
to stop its upward movement and pulls it back to earth. Limiting vertical component of the
projectile.

Air Resistance:-

When a projectile moves through the air, it is slow down by air resistance,

Air resistance decrease the h o r i z o n t a l component of projectile.

The effect of air resistance is very small but it increases the horizontal component of air
resistance acting on a projectile mass surface of the object.

Following factors - Surface of the object volume, mass & speed related to the amount of air
resistance of a projectile.

Surface of the objects: The amount of the Air resistance depend on the surface of the object.
If the surface of the object (Football, Cricket Ball, Basketball, etc.) is rough, the air resistance
will definitely be greater.

Surface to Volume Ratio: The larger to the volume ratio, the more Air resistance will affect
the object. For example, a badminton shuttle will have much more air resistance, than golf
ball because of the dimples in it.

Mass:

Spin:-

The amount and direction of spin acting on a projectile will directly effect the distance
travelled or covered by a projectile.

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The main reason behind this fact is the air pressure acting on the object.

- Upper air pressure is maximum on the object.

- Lower air pressure is maximum on the object.

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