Biomechanics: How High Jumpers Sneak Under the Bar
The physics of human movement, from sprint starts and spinning divers to curving balls and the cameras that measure it all.
Biomechanics · 50 questions
Try 3 questions
1. A runner completes one 400 m lap and finishes exactly where she started. What is her average velocity for the lap?
- Zero meters per second
- Half of her top speed
- Equal to her average speed
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Answer: Zero meters per second
Velocity depends on displacement, the straight-line change in position; ending at the start means zero displacement and zero average velocity.
2. In a 100 m final, where do elite sprinters typically reach their top speed?
- Within the first 10 meters
- In the last 5 meters
- Around 50 to 70 meters
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Answer: Around 50 to 70 meters
Sprinters accelerate for roughly 50-70 m, then hold speed; the winner is usually the one who slows down least near the finish.
3. One ball is dropped and another is thrown horizontally from the same height at the same moment. Ignoring air, which lands first?
- Both land together
- The thrown ball
- The dropped ball
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Answer: Both land together
Horizontal and vertical motion are independent; both balls start with zero vertical velocity and fall under the same gravity.
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