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EnglandPhysical Education

Movement analysis, technology and biomechanics (Area of study 2)

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How is rotation controlled, and what governs the flight path of a projectile in sport?

Angular motion and projectile motion: angular velocity and acceleration, moment of inertia, angular momentum and its conservation, and the factors affecting projectile flight (speed, angle and height of release) and the parabolic path.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level PE on angular and projectile motion: the angular quantities, moment of inertia, the conservation of angular momentum applied to spins and somersaults, the three factors affecting projectile flight, and why the optimum release angle is not always 45 degrees, with calculation.
12 min answer →

How do mass, weight, levers, centre of mass and stability govern efficient sporting movement?

Biomechanical principles: mass, weight, inertia and friction, the lever systems and mechanical advantage, the centre of mass, and the factors affecting stability and balance.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level PE on biomechanical principles: mass, weight and inertia, friction, the three lever systems and mechanical advantage with calculation, the centre of mass, and the four factors affecting stability and balance in sport.
11 min answer →

How do drag, lift and the Magnus effect shape performance in air and water?

Fluid mechanics: the factors affecting drag, the Bernoulli principle and lift, and the Magnus effect on a spinning ball, applied to performance in air and water.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level PE on fluid mechanics: the factors that increase and reduce drag, the Bernoulli principle and how it generates lift, and the Magnus effect that makes a spinning ball swerve, dip or float, applied to cycling, swimming and ball sports.
11 min answer →

How do Newton's laws and the quantities of linear motion describe and explain movement in sport?

Linear motion: Newton's three laws applied to sport, the linear quantities (distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration), and the calculation and use of force, momentum and impulse from a force-time graph.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level PE on linear motion: Newton's three laws applied to sport, the linear quantities (distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration), and the calculation of force, momentum and impulse with the impulse-momentum relationship read from a force-time graph.
12 min answer →

How do we analyse a sporting movement using joints, muscles, contractions, planes and axes?

The musculoskeletal system and movement analysis: joint types and movements, the antagonistic muscle action, types of muscle contraction (concentric, eccentric, isometric, isokinetic), muscle fibre types, and planes and axes.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level PE on movement analysis: joint types and the movements they allow, antagonistic muscle pairs and the agonist-antagonist relationship, the four types of muscle contraction, the three muscle fibre types, and the planes and axes of movement applied to sport.
12 min answer →

How does technology improve movement analysis, training and officiating, and what problems does it bring?

Technology in sport: the use of video and computerised analysis, force plates, motion capture, timing gates, GPS and heart-rate monitors, and the impact of technology on performance, officiating and accessibility.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level PE on technology: video and computerised movement analysis, force plates, motion capture, timing gates, GPS and heart-rate monitors, and an evaluation of the impact of technology on performance, training, officiating and accessibility.
11 min answer →