Center of Gravity & Stability

Saidon Amri, Ph.D

Department of Sports Studies
UPM
Basic Concepts Related to Kinetics

What is a torque?
• the rotary effect of a force
• the angular equivalent of force
• also known as moment of force
 Equilibrium
What is torque?
• the rotary effect of a force about an
axis of rotation
• measured as the product of force and
the force’s moment arm - the
shortest (perpendicular) distance
between a force’s line of action and
an axis of rotation
Basic Concepts Related to Kinetics

What is a torque?
T = F d (the product of force and
the perpendicular distance from
the force’s line of action to the
axis of rotation)
T=Fd

F = 10N T = (10N)(2m)
d =2m
axis T = 20 Nm
 Equilibrium

The moment arm

Force
of a force is the Moment arm line of
perpendicular action
distance from the
force’s line of Moment Force
action to the axis arm line of
action
of rotation.
 Equilibrium

What is a lever?

• a simple machine consisting of a

relatively rigid bar-like body that can
be made to rotate about an axis or a
fulcrum
• there are first, second, and third class
levers
 Equilibrium

Relative locations of F R

the applied force, First class

the resistance, and R F
the fulcrum or axis
of rotation Second class

determine lever F R
classifications.
Third class
 Equilibrium

What is mechanical advantage?

• the ratio of the moment arm of the
force (force arm) to the moment
arm of the resistance (resistance
arm) for a given lever
 Equilibrium

F = 10N R = 20N

2m 1m

A force can balance a larger resistance

when the force arm is longer than the
resistance arm.
 Equilibrium

F R

A force can move a resistance through a

larger range of motion when the force
arm is shorter than the resistance arm.
 Equilibrium

Where do torques occur within the human

body?

• The product of muscle tension and

muscle moment arm produces a
torque at the joint crossed by the
muscle.
Where do torques occur within the
human body?
 Muscle torque:
 torque produced by a muscle

 cause of the joint motion - :

 (a) perpendicular distance between the joint

center and muscle's line of action
 (b) varies as joint angle changes

 (c) maximum when angle of pull is 90°

 Resultant joint torque:

 sum of the torques produced by the muscles

around a joint
 In the human body, most muscle-
bone lever system are of the third
class
 Therefore:
 mechanical advantage < 1
 Promotes range of motion and angular
speed of body segments
 Muscle forces generated must be in
excess of the resistant forces if
positive mechanical work is to be done
Musculoskeletal system lever

 Third class
 Biceps
brachii
Musculoskeletal system lever

 Third class
 Hamstring
 Equilibrium

What is static equilibrium?

• a motionless state in which there is no
net force or net torque acting
• the conditions of static equilibrium are:
Fv = 0
Fh = 0
T = 0
 Center of Gravity

What is the center of gravity?

• the point around which a body’s weight
is equally balanced in all directions
• also referred to as the center of mass or
mass centroid
• (need not be physically located inside of
a body)
 Center of Gravity

Why is the center of gravity of interest in

the study of human biomechanics?
• it serves as an index of total body motion

Path of the center of gravity of a runner.

 Center of Gravity
Why is the center of gravity of interest in
the study of human biomechanics?

• the body responds to external forces as

though all mass were concentrated at
the CG; this is consequently the point
at which the weight vector is shown to
act in a free body diagram
 Stability and Balance

What is stability?
• resistance to disruption of equilibrium
What is balance?
• ability to control equilibrium
 Stability and Balance

What is the base of support?

• area bound by the outermost regions of
contact between a body and support
surface(s)
 Stability and Balance

What can increase a body’s stability?

• increasing body mass
• increasing friction between the body
and the surfaces of contact
 Stability and Balance

What can increase a body’s stability?

• increasing the size of the base of
support in the direction of an external
force
 Stability and Balance

What can increase a body’s stability?

• horizontally positioning the center of
gravity near the edge of the base of
support on the side of the external
force
 Stability and Balance

What can increase a body’s stability?

• vertically positioning the center of
gravity as low as possible
The higher the CG,
the greater the
amount of torque
its motion creates d
about the support d
surface. d
Martial artists typically
assume a wide stance
during defensive
situations to increase
stability
Sprinters in the starting
blocks maintain a
relatively small base of
support so that they can
quickly disrupt stability
at the start of the race
Basic Concepts Related to Kinetics
What is the center of gravity?
• the point around which a body’s weight
is equally balanced in all directions

20 N CG 10 N

1m 2m
The weights are balanced, creating equal torques on either side of
the fulcrum.
Basic Concepts Related to Kinetics

What is the center of gravity?

• (same point as the center of mass)
• serves as an index of total body
motion
• location determines the way the
body responds to external forces
Skilled runners display less vertical oscillation
of the CG during performance
COG, stability and human
movement
 Human can control their stability by
changing their stance and body
position
 Athletes manipulate their cog and
bases of support to affect stability
 Athletes may want to maximize their
stability in general or in a specific
direction or minimize stability to
facilitate mobility
In the set position, the sprinter raises her cog and
moves it forward to the edge of the base of support
over his hands
 The path the COG during take-off in several
jumping events distinguish skilled from less
skilled performance.
 Long Jump;
 COG relatively constant through the second
last step
 Markedly lower the COG during the last step,
then increase the COG into the jump step
 Lowering COG prior to take-off enables the
athlete to lengthen the vertical path
Lowering the COG prior to take-off enables
the athletes to lengthen the vertical path over
which the body is accelerated during take-off,
thus facilitating a high vertical velocity at
take-off
High Jump
Vertical
Jumping.pdf CG high Jump.ppt
COG_Lab Walton graduate.doc
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