AQA GCSE PE Movement analysis: a complete overview of levers, planes and axes
A deep-dive AQA GCSE PE guide to the Movement analysis topic. Covers the three classes of lever, mechanical advantage, and the three planes and axes of movement, with the biomechanics definitions and sporting examples AQA repeats in Paper 1.
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Movement analysis is the biomechanics part of AQA GCSE PE Paper 1. It is short but precise, and marks are won by using the correct technical terms. This guide maps the two areas and how to apply them.
Lever systems
A lever has mechanical advantage when the effort arm is longer than the load arm, so a small effort moves a large load. Second-class levers have mechanical advantage; third-class levers have a mechanical disadvantage but produce speed and a large range of movement, which is useful in sport.
Planes and axes of movement
A plane is an imaginary flat surface the body moves along, and an axis is the line the body rotates around. They come in matched pairs.
- Sagittal plane with the transverse axis: forward and backward rotation, for example a forward somersault.
- Frontal plane with the sagittal axis: side-to-side rotation, for example a cartwheel.
- Transverse plane with the longitudinal axis: twisting rotation, for example a full twist.
When you analyse a movement, name both the plane and the axis, and give a sporting example.
How to revise this topic
- Learn the lever order using the middle component (fulcrum, load, effort).
- Know which levers have mechanical advantage and why.
- Memorise the three plane and axis pairings with their examples.
- Practise classifying movements from photos and descriptions.
- Use the correct technical terms every time, as the mark schemes demand them.
Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Physical Education (8582) specification — AQA (2016)