Activities Based on the Standing Broad Jump Data for Subject Maira
You are given an Excel file of data that were taken of a student, Maira, doing a standing
broad jump in a Gait Analysis Center. The data are in an Excel spreadsheet file,
MairaBroadJump2AA.xls in the folder 4Broad_Jump-AAPT. She jumps from Force
Plate #2 to Force Plate #4 and there are 25 dots connected to her body. The digital data
collecting system locates the x, y and z position of each of those dots and force plates
on the floor measure the components of the forces. These numerical values are recorded
at 60 times per second. The positions are given in millimeters and the forces are given in
newtons. There is also a video movie of the student doing the jump as well as a stick
figure movie made using the motion of the 25 dots on the student’s body.
Conceptual Activities:
Examine all of these data and use the spreadsheet to produce graphs of the forces as
a function of time and the positions as a function of time.
Write an essay to describe the characteristics of this motion.
Select the force component of most interest to you and select a time period for which
that force looks especially interesting. Examine the force component as a function
of time for that time period.
Write an essay to describe the characteristics of this force component for the time
period of interest. Describe the acceleration that you might expect from this
force.
Analytical Activities:
1. Estimate the initial horizontal and vertical components of Maira's velocity when
she leaves force plate #2
2. Based on your analysis in question one, estimate the angle Maira's initial velocity
when she leaves the floor makes with the horizontal?
3. How does your answer to question 2 compare with measurements made from the
analysis of the video or the stick figure movie?
4. Estimate the final horizontal and vertical components of Maria's velocity when
she lands on force plate 4 ?
Synthetical Activities:
1. Which of the dots on Maira’s body most nearly follows what you think is her
center of mass motion? Explain your answer and support it with evidence.