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EnglandPhysical Education

Movement analysis (Component 1)

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do levers in the body let muscles move loads, and which lever is which?

Lever systems used in physical activity and sport: the components of a lever (fulcrum, effort and load), the three classes of lever (first, second and third class) with examples from the body, mechanical advantage, and the range of movement and speed each lever produces.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on lever systems: the fulcrum, effort and load, the three classes of lever with body examples, how to identify a lever class, mechanical advantage (with a calculation), and the trade-off between force, speed and range of movement.
11 min answer →

What movements can each joint produce, and which muscles cause them?

The types of movement possible at joints used in physical activity: flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, rotation, circumduction, plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, the joint type that allows each, and the antagonistic muscle action that produces the movement.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on the types of movement at joints: flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, rotation and circumduction, plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, the joints that allow each, and the antagonistic muscle pairs that produce them.
10 min answer →

How do we describe the direction of a movement in three dimensions, and which plane and axis does a somersault use?

The planes of movement (sagittal, frontal and transverse) and the axes of rotation (transverse, sagittal and longitudinal), how each plane pairs with an axis, and the analysis of sporting movements such as somersaults, cartwheels and twists using planes and axes.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on planes and axes of movement: the three planes (sagittal, frontal, transverse), the three axes (transverse, sagittal, longitudinal), how each plane pairs with its axis, and how to analyse somersaults, cartwheels and twists.
10 min answer →