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EnglandPhysical Education

Biomechanics (Component 01)

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How is rotation produced and controlled in sport?

The quantities of angular motion (angular displacement, velocity and acceleration), moment of inertia, angular momentum and its conservation, and how a performer controls rotation in flight.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on angular motion: angular displacement, velocity and acceleration, the moment of inertia and what changes it, angular momentum as moment of inertia times angular velocity, the conservation of angular momentum in flight, and how a gymnast or diver speeds up or slows a rotation.
10 min answer →

How do the basic mechanical quantities and lever systems describe movement in sport?

The mechanical quantities of mass, weight, inertia and centre of mass, the three classes of lever and their components, and mechanical advantage and its effect on force and range of movement.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on biomechanical principles and levers: the quantities of mass, weight, inertia and centre of mass and how stability depends on them, the three classes of lever and their components, and the calculation and meaning of mechanical advantage.
10 min answer →

How do drag, lift and spin affect the movement of bodies and objects in sport?

The factors affecting air and water resistance (drag), how lift is created by the Bernoulli principle, and the Magnus effect that makes a spinning ball swerve.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on fluid mechanics: the factors affecting drag (velocity, frontal area, shape and surface), laminar and turbulent flow, how lift is created through the Bernoulli principle, and how the Magnus effect makes topspin, backspin and sidespin swerve a ball.
10 min answer →

How do Newton's laws, force, momentum and impulse describe linear motion in sport?

Newton's three laws of motion applied to sport, the quantities of linear motion (distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration), and the calculation and use of force, momentum and impulse.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on linear motion and Newton's laws: the three laws applied to sporting movements, 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.
11 min answer →

What determines the flight path of a projectile in sport?

The factors affecting the horizontal distance of a projectile (speed, angle and height of release), the parabolic flight path and the resolution of forces into horizontal and vertical components.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on projectile motion: the three factors affecting horizontal distance (speed, angle and height of release), why the optimum release angle is 45 degrees only when release and landing heights are equal, the parabolic flight path, and resolving the resultant force into horizontal and vertical components.
10 min answer →