Forces for lifting

Setting the scene

There are a large number of muscles involved in making the arm move. The main
muscle which causes the arm to flex (bend) at the elbow is the biceps muscle.
When we want to lift an object towards the shoulder, we need to contract the
biceps to lift the lower arm up at the elbow.

Aims
In this practical you will:

investigate the effect of changing the mass of an object on the force required by a
muscle to bend the arm.

You will be working scientifically to:

use apparatus safely

make and record observations and measurements, and suggest possible improvements

present observations and data using tables and graphs

draw conclusions from the data.

Safety

Take care when using weights.

Equipment and materials

model arm

string

newtonmeter

clamp stand and clamp

masses and hanger (20 g, 40 g, 60 g, 80 g, and 100 g)

Prediction
If we increase the mass on the arm, what do you think will happen to the force
required to lift the arm?

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Method
1 Clamp the model arm to the clamp stand, as shown in the diagram. The clamp should be
at the lower end of the humerus (close to the elbow). The elbow joint should be
approximately 20 cm off the desk.
2 Attach the newtonmeter to the free end of the string.
3 Attach a 20 g mass to the loop on the hand end of the model arm.
4 Pull the newtonmeter on the end of the string (which is acting as a muscle) to lift the
mass.
5 Record the force needed to lift the mass, until the lower arm is horizontal.

6 Repeat the test twice more.

7 Replace the 20 g mass with a 40 g mass and repeat steps 4 to 6.
8 Continue for 60 g, 80 g, and 100 g.

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This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.

Results
Design a results table to record your results.
Remember to put the variable that you are changing in the first column.
The variable that you record go in the next three columns.
Create a column for the mean of the three tests.

Questions
1 Plot a line graph of the average force used to lift the mass (y-axis) against the mass
added to the arm (x-axis).
2 State which mass required the greatest force to lift.

3 Describe the relationship between the mass on the arm and the force used.

4 State what the force represents in this experiment.

5 Explain what is happening to the muscle in the arm as the force changes.

6 Describe one way the model of the arm is similar to the real arm.

7 Describe one way in which the model arm is different from the real arm.

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This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.

Extension
1 How could you improve the experiment?

2 The hand and the muscle both take the same amount of time to move. Describe the
effect of this on the speed of the movement of the hand.

3 In many sports, like tennis, the arm needs to bend at the elbow. The drawings show
a tennis player during a shot.

Explain how the tennis player is able to hit the ball with great speed during the shot.
Use the information you have learnt in this investigation, and the drawing, to help
your explanation.

Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.