The study of C.G. helps us understand biology better

Center Of Gravity Help Us To: Understand why animals and plants evolved to what they

are now How our body react to change in external conditions to

avoid physical damage

Centers Of Gravity (C.G.)

•The basics•Balance in the human body•Balance in animals•“Balance” in plants

•Y ellow spot indicates Center Of Gravity

T1. The smaller the base area, the less stable the object.2. The further away the C.G. is from the base of support, the less

stable it is.

Force Exerted T

The “T” topples

•Y ellow spot indicates Center Of Gravity

T1. The bigger the base area, the more stable the object.2. The closer the C.G. is to the base of the support, the more

stable it is. TForce Exerted T

The “T” tilts The “T” returns to its original position

The human body is designed for balance,1. The human’s inner ear controls balance.2. The body has a relative large base. (Our legs are wide and

flat)3. We have a straight body (when standing) which is in line

with our centres of gravity.

Walking and Commuting etc Martial Arts – Judo The Arts – Dancing & Acrobatic Arts Military Training – Foot Drills

Everyday commuting Most of us take the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)

to school A ny when standing in the train we often stand

with our legs spread out to shoulder length This is a natural reaction by our body to

maintain our balance when we experience turbulence

We even try to hold on to railings These would give us a wider base & lower our

centre of gravity to our base Thus giving us more stability

Martial artists use the applications of centre of gravity to improve themselves in combat

1. Widening their feet to widen the area of covered base.

2. Bending down slightly to lower their centre of gravity, hence making it closer to their base..

The above points increases the stability of the individual

The Natural World Our world is a wonderful place. Strange animals exist

in every corner of our Earth. Each with different features to help them survive in

their habitat But with these features, the animal’s balance would

be affected Therefore their bodies are designed to counter

balance the effects of these features

Balancing In Animals Animals

The ostrich stands on two legs, these 2 legs are extremely muscular, thin and long. This allows them to run faster. In addition, they can also sometimes stand on only 1 leg. These legs are capable of supporting the ostrich’s weight.

The 4 legged animals, most of these animals uses there 4 strong legs that allow them to run fast either to catch prey or escape for a predator .

The Ostrich (Birds) The ostrich has an awkward body

structure. Most of its body mass is above its long and thin legs.

Leaning forward to shift its C.G. so as to balance itself.

Having its long neck and head ahead of its body

This counter balance the weight of the Ostrich

Four Legged Animals Probably the animals that have the best

balance. Having 4 legs give them a extremely wide

base of support And most 4 legged animals are short, thus

their center of gravity is very close to their base or feet

In doing so, they are able to achieve equilibrium.

Most of them have tails which also help them balance due to the weight of their head.

It also helps them to maintain balance when running

Centre of gravity In Plants Plants also grow to achieve stability In small plants, they have roots that

do not penetrate deep into the ground. But they have thin and slender stems while their roots are spread wide

Giving the plants a wide base and their centre of gravity is closer to their base

Therefore allowing small plants to achieve stability

What About Tall Trees? Trees grow tall, in order to compete with each other

for more sunlight. However their Centre of Gravity becomes further

away from their base So they have roots that penetrate deep in to the

ground and hold tight to the soil Thus allowing them to remain upright

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