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BME 241 Fundamentals of Biomechanics

Course Description:

This course combines didactic lecture and laboratory and will introduce the student to the principles of biomechanics. Topics include: f undamental concepts of mechanics, force systems and couples, free body diagrams, dynamics of particles and rigid bodies, centroids and centers of gravity; second moments of area and volumes, and basic fluid mechanics.

Prerequisites: PHYS 152

Coordinator: Charles H. Turner

Instructional Goals: To introduce students to fundamental concepts of mechanics and biomechanics.

General Lecture Topics:

•  Newton 's Laws applied to biomechanics
•  Forces and moments
•  Analyses of systems at equilibrium
•  Applications of static equilibrium in biomechanics
•  Kinematics of particles
•  Kinematics of rigid bodies
•  Impulse and momentum
•  Angular motion
•  Stress and strain
•  Basic fluid mechanics

Required Textbooks: Fundamentals of Biomechanics: Equilibrium, Motion, and Deformation. N. Ozkaya and M. Nordin. Springer 1998. ISBN 0-387-98283-3

Outcomes: After completion of this course students should be able to:

1. Analyze vectors (vector algebra). [a1]
2. Express forces in 3-D space. [a4]
3. Draw free body diagrams of rigid bodies. [a1]
4. Apply vector algebra to rigid bodies. [a4]
5. Analyze rigid bodies for moments, couples, etc. [e, a4]
6. Apply equilibrium conditions to rigid bodies [a1, a4]
7. Determine centroids of lines, areas, and volumes. [a4]
8. Calculate friction forces. [a4]
9. Calculate 2 nd moments of area. [a4]
10. Solve problems of kinematics of a single particle in motion [a1]
11. Use the equations of motion to develop the relationship between the work of external forces and change of kinetic energy for a single particle [a1]
12. Use the method of momentum for solving certain problems involving kinetics of a single particle [a4, e]
13. Solve problems involving kinematics of rigid bodies [a4, e]
14. Determine pressure and forces in fluid statics [a2]
15. Apply the Bernoulli equation for fluid dynamics [a4]

Laboratory Outcomes: After completion of this course, the students should be able to:

1. Calculate three dimensional force vectors using a force plate. [b][k4]
2. Apply conservation of momentum and energy equations to heel impact on a force plate. [b][k4]
3. Calculate joint forces from 2D joint motion measurements. [b][k4]
4. Measure bone strain using a foil strain gauge. [b][k4]
5. Measure flow rate in a tube and analyze using the Bernoulli equation.[b][k4]