Question: Using Problem 9.93 as a guide, apply it to a person running at 12 km h, with his arms and legs each swinging through

Using Problem 9.93 as a guide, apply it to a person running at 12 km h, with his arms and legs each swinging through ± 30º in ½ s. As before, assume that the arms and legs are kept straight.

Problem 9.93:

If a person of mass M simply moved forward with speed V, his kinetic energy would be However, in addition to possessing a forward motion, various parts of his body (such as the arms and legs) undergo rotation. Therefore, his total kinetic energy is the sum of the energy from his forward motion plus the rotational kinetic energy of his arms and legs. The purpose of this problem is to see how much this rotational motion contributes to the person’s kinetic energy. Biomedical measurements show that the arms and hands together typically make up 13% of a person’s mass, while the legs and feet together account for 37%. For a rough (but reasonable) calculation, we can model the arms and legs as thin uniform bars pivoting about the shoulder and hip, respectively. In a brisk walk, the arms and legs each move through an angle of about ± 30º (a total of 60º) from the vertical in approximately 1 second. We shall assume that they are held straight, rather than being bent, which is not quite true. Let us consider a 75-kg person walking at 5.0 km h, having arms 70 cm long and legs 90 cm long.

(a) What is the average angular velocity of his arms and legs? 

(b) Using the average angular velocity from part (a), calculate the amount of rotational kinetic energy in this person’s arms and legs as he walks. 

(c) What is the total kinetic energy due to both his for-ward motion and his rotation? 

(d) What percentage of his kinetic energy is due to the rotation of his legs and arms?

Step by Step Solution

3.30 Rating (168 Votes )

There are 3 Steps involved in it

1 Expert Approved Answer
Step: 1 Unlock

Identify The total kinetic energy of a runner is the s... View full answer

blur-text-image
Question Has Been Solved by an Expert!

Get step-by-step solutions from verified subject matter experts

Step: 2 Unlock
Step: 3 Unlock

Document Format (2 attachments)

PDF file Icon

1477_605aea4ca1379_673708.pdf

180 KBs PDF File

Word file Icon

1477_605aea4ca1379_673708.docx

120 KBs Word File

Students Have Also Explored These Related University Physics Questions!