Introduction to Sports Biomechanics: Analysing Human Movement ...

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF MOVEMENT
occurs, the range and the time of flight, and the optimum projection angle.
Why do you think the release angle differs from the optimum projection angle?
(b) Calculate the maximum height reached and the time at which this occurs, the
range and the time of flight, and the optimum projection angle for a similar
object projected with zero release height but with the same release speed and
angle. Comment on the effects of changing the release height.
Hint: You should reread the section on ‘Projectile motion’ (pages 139, 141–5)
before undertaking this study task.
8 Calculate the magnitudes of the acceleration components and the velocity of a point
on a rigid body at a radius of 0.8 m from the axis of rotation when the angular
velocity and angular acceleration have magnitudes, respectively, of 10 rad/s and
−5 rad/s 2 . Sketch the body and draw on it the velocity vector and components of
the acceleration vector.
Hint: You should reread the section on ‘Linear velocities and accelerations caused by
rotation’ (page 146) before undertaking this task.
You should also answer the multiple choice questions for Chapter 4 on the book’s
website.
GLOSSARY OF IMPORTANT TERMS (compiled by Dr Melanie Bussey)
Analog Any signal continuous in both time and amplitude. It differs from a digital
signal in that small fluctuations in the signal are meaningful. The primary disadvantage
of analog signal processing is that any system has noise – random
variation. As the signal is copied and recopied, or transmitted over long distances,
these random variations become dominant. See also digital.
Calibration Refers to the process of determining the relationship between the output (or
response) of a measuring instrument and the value of the input quantity or attribute
used as a measurement standard.
Cinematography Motion picture photography. See also videography.
Cross-sectional (study) The observation of a defined population at an instant in time
or across a specified time interval; exposure and outcome are determined simultaneously.
See also longitudinal study.
Digital Uses discrete values (often electrical voltages), rather than a continuous spectrum
of values as in an analog system, particularly those representable as binary numbers,
or non-numeric symbols such as letters or icons, for input, processing, transmission,
storage or display. A digital transmission (as for digital radio or television) is considered
less ‘noisy’ because slight variations do not matter as they are ignored when
the signal is received. See also analog.
Dimension A term denoting the spatial extent of a measurable quantity. See also twodimensional
and three-dimensional.
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