HARARE INSTl rfUl' (t ()F rfEClfN OLOGY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERI NG AND TECHNOLO GY

DEPART:vIKY f OF BIOMEDICAL EXGJ:\EERL'\ G
B.TECH (HOXOCRS) DEGREE IX BIO:vIEDICAL EXGIXEERI~G
EBE3102: BIO:vIECl IAXICS
TIME : 3 HOLRS DATE: ~ov/DEC 2022
1-"'STRUCTJO;'\"S TO CA;'\"DIDATES:
1. This paper consists of seven questions
2. Answer any five questions
3. Each question carries 20 marks
4. Start the answers for each question on a fresh page.
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ADDITIO-"'AL :vIATERIALS
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1. Scientific Calc ulator
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 QLESTIO~©
a) Define the fo ll owing terms :
i) Biomechanics~ y [2]
ii) Inert ia, ~ // /t [2]
iii) Force,
~ -~
[2]
iv) Pressure, // -----\ [2]
v) Volume,
~~ (21
vi) Density, [2]
vii) Angular Motion. [21
b) Three anatomical reference planes divide the body. Desc ri be and state a movement [6)
example for each of these planes. , ~~ .,A, i11.u,.,.,,l,\J.v-l
. / ~ f{~
Qt:ESTIO:\' 2 ~\- ~
a) Csing a graphic solution, draw the muscle force vectors to calculate the net force (2 :
acting on the scapula shown in FigQ2a.
,.,,... ~..,I
',/:=·:=~fi~~:- .:7
~ / ...,.,- .,...
/ ..~~·
.
~
\\
~
j'
..J'~
(·,., ....
"'iii,
FigQ2a : \1uscl e force vectors
b) /\ runner ' s m ass is 60 kg, if the res ultant forward force 1s 3()() \ . Calculate her (2
acceleration.
c! A sprinter uses her calf musc les to push on the blocks at the start a run . Explain, ur [3
using );°ewton's laws, how this cnahlcs her to accelerate forward out ol' the blocks .
( )n ' 1-C Cl"t1- t6l- i I) I h \ 1. r..,\) 1 ())~I~ b61 1.rrs +Fu;81--ir6 I<ft'ol-;
d) Differentiate Lhe following terms with aid ol' an example l'ur each :
i) KinemaLics and Kinetics in Biomechanics, [4)
ii) Scalar and Vector Quantities. [41
e) List 5 profes::-;ional groups who benefit from knowledge of Biomechanics. [5]
QLESTIO:\' 3
a) A sailboat heads north at 3 mis for 1 hour and then tacks back to the south-east (at
45 ° to north ) at 2 mis for 45 minutes :
i) Calculate how far the boat has sailed, [2]
ii) Calculate how far the boat is from its starting location. [2]
b) The m edial deltoid attaches to the humerus at an angle of 15° as shown in FigQ3b
below:
i) C alculate the size of the rotary component of muscle fo rce when the total [2]
muscle fo rce is 500 ~,
ii) Calculate the size of the stabilizing component of m uscle force when the total [2]
muscle force is 500 :'.\.
r , ......;.
i?
FigQ3b : ::vledial deltoid attached to humerus
c) In the nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc the compressive load is 1.5 times
the externally applied load. In the annulus !i brosus. the compressive force is 0.5 times
the external load. Given the LS-S l intervcrtcbral d isc of a 930 :( man holding a 445
~ weight bar across his shoulders and that 3 7'!,1J o 1· body weight is distributed above
the disc .
Page 3 of 7
 Calcu late the comp rcssi ve loads on the nucleu s ru Ipt
>:-. us, [3J
i)
sus.
ii) Calcu late the comp ressiv e loads on the annu Ius fi hro [3]
orc it.s weigh t docs not produ ce
d) The forear m shown in FigQ3 d below is vertic al thcrcl'
torque at the e]bov,,. Given d 111 " · 2 cm and de .:::: 25 cm.
i) the tricep s to stabili ze the [3]
Calcu late the tensio n (f m) that must be suppl ied by
arm again st an extern al force (Fe) of 200 ?\',
ii) Calcu late the magn itude of the joint reacti on force (R). 131
Fe
•.· r;
FigQ3 d : Forea rm
QLESTIO;\" 4
seesaw . Joey, who weigh s 220 ::-;,
a) Two childr en sit on oppos ite sides of a playg round
who weigh s 200 '\, sits 1.7 m from
sits 1.5 m from the axis of the seesa w, and Suzy 1
the axis of the seesa w.
[41
i) Calcu late the torqu e create d on the axis by each child.
[21
ii) Dedu ce and state the direct ion the seesa w will tip.
to an under hand grip affect s an [6]
b) Expla in how the use or an overh and as comp ared
indiv idual' s ability to perfo rm a pull-u p .
bones . ligarnl'l;ts . and muscl es) to [8
c) Diffe rentia te the struct ure of the knee (inclu ding
the struct ure of the el how.
Page 4 of 7
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QCES TIO :\' 5
\(~) s\(' g
"\.., '"S
1n1ual ve locity o!' 7 _.
a) A 50 kg perso n perfon~1s a maxim um ve rti ca l Jurnp wil11 an
the j ump. 1_2]
i) Calcu late the pcrfo rm c r· s m ax im um kineti c energy during
g th c j um p. [21
ii) Calc ulate the perfo rmer" s maxim um potential energy durin
the _jump , [2]
iii) Ca lc ubte the perfor mer ' s minim um kinetic energy during
j ump . [2]
iv) Calcul ate the perfor mer's center of mass ~levated during the
giving it an initial speed
b) A badm inton shuttle cock is struck by a racket at a 35° angle,
of 10 111/s:
' [2]
i) Calcu late how hig~ it will go,
contac ted by the (2]
ii) Calcul ate how far it will travel horizo ntally before being
projec ted.
oppon ent's racket at the same height from which it was
veloci ty of 4 m/s when he (3]
c) Linem an A has a mass of 100 kg and is travelling with a
and is travell ing at 4.5 mis.
collide s head-o n with linema n B, who has a mass of 90 kg
movem ent.
If both player s remain on their feet , calculate and explain their
I'\. of 4 m/s. If the curren t is [5]
• d) A sailbo at is being propel led wester ly by the wind at a speed
positio n of the boat in 10
flowin g at 2 m/s to the north- east, calculate and state the
min with respec t to.its startin g positio n. C\--v-- (5 -~ IJ\
. ' 4V'"l(7
< -\ u \ j
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Ql;ES TIO~ 6 I
transv erse axis at the l1i p. is
a) The radius of gyratio n of the thigh with respec t to the
of total 'body mass, and
54% o f the segme nt length.__The mass of the thigh is 10.~%
heig,tit, Calcui ate the momen t ot· inerti a
the length of the thigh is 23_.2% of total -body
1 ing bod y masse s and
of the follow
of the thigh with resp~c t fo 'the hip for males
hei ghts shown in TableQ 6a below:
hei ght values
__ ,_ . -
-··•--· - ·-- - - - -•··••·
TableQ 6a.. : Body mass and
Vlass (kg) lki ght(m)
1.6 [2]
A 60
·-( l,, [2]
J.-- ::.,t,V\ ip B (i() l .8
--
] .6 [2]
C 70
\ <; 4:/ 'f- i \ 1.8 [2]
D~ 70
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b) A c~c list enter--; a cu n -c o f 30 m radius al a s pe ed o l' 12 m~s. !\s the brake s arc N
applied ~ ~ ecrcascd a l a cons ta nt ra te .o l' O..'> 111/s:··) ·
\ . •J r
i) Calcu late the magni tude of the cyclisf s tan ge nti al acc clcratiun s when hi~ speed [2] '/( /
is 10 m/ ~. ~ -~ ~

ii) C alc ulate the m agnitude of the cyclist ' s radial acceleration when his sp eed i s l 0 [2]
rn/s .
·--
c) A gol f club is sw1.mg w ith an average angular acceleration of 1.5 rad/s 2 . Calculate the [2]
angular v el oci ty of the club when it strikes the ball at the end of a 0.8 s swing.

d) The patellar tendon attaches to the tibia at a 20° angle 3 cm from the axis .o:( r_Qta0on [31
J at the knee. If the tension in the tendon is 400. "\', calculate the resulting accelera~ion i¥
of the 4 .2 kg lower leg ·and foot .given ;\adius of gyration of 25. cm {or .the lower -rt -::.,
leg/foot with respect to the axis .of rotation a(the knee., ··

e) A baseball is struck by a bat 46 cm from the axis of rotation when the angular [3)
velocity of the bat is 70 rad/s. If the ball is hit at a height of 1.2 m at a 45° angle , state
and justify if th:e ball will clear a 1.2m tall fence 11 Om away. (Assume 'that the initial 6
linear velocity of the ball is the same as the• linear velocity of the bat at the point at ~/
which it is struck.) t _rJ . dr~
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QLESTIO~ 7 1 ~) V \ tt' ~~
ltv V r\. ~ ~ ~~
a) Calculate the force that must be produced by the biceps brachii, attaching at 90° to [2) . 1
the radius at 3 cm from the center of rotation at the elbow joint, to s·u pp01i a weight of \
, 7O:S: held in the hand at a distance of 30 cm from the elbow joint. '{ ...r
1

b) A 35 \:' hand and forearm are held at a 45° angle to the ve1iically oriented humerus . /
1
· The C G of the forearm and hand is located at a d istance of 15 cm from the jnint l
it; centre at the e lbow, and the elbow flexor muscles attach at an av~rage di sta nce . of 3
cm fro m the joint centre:

\t (Assume that the m u scles attach at an angle of 45 ° to th~ bones .)

Calculate the force that must be exerted by the forea rm flex ors to m aintain this [21
* i) p osition .

ii) C alculate the fo rce that the forearm flexors exert if a 50 \:' w ei ght is he ld in the [2]
hand at a distance along the arm of 25 cn1.

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nd Tb arc cxe ncd on the pa tel la as sho w n in I· ig ()7 c
c) T end on for c es Ta a
o/' Tti is 8() .' \ , cal cul ate the
exe rts for ce f o n tlic patel la. If the ma g nitu d e
fem ur
jo int
o mo tion is occ urr ing a t the
ma gni tud es of Ta and F. i/'n
f

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\ rted on the fem ur and pat ella
Fig Q7 c : Ten don for ces exe
15 [2]
ens ion exe rci ses we ari ng a
ien t reh abi lita tin g a kne e inj ury per for ms kne e ext by the we igh t
d) A pat the kne e
t boo t. Ca lcu late the am oun t of tor que gen era ted at tw ee n®
~ we igh of 0.4 m be
r p osi tio ns sho wn bel ow in Fig Q7 d, giv en a dis tan ce LY
boo t for the fou ter at the kne e.
t ' s CG and the j oin t cen
the we igh t boo \ \
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