1

Angular Kinematics
Learning Objectives:
Define angular kinematics
Understand & compute absolute & relative angles,
angular displacements, velocities & accelerations
Estimate instantaneous angular velocity & accel.
Be able to identify phases of movement & infer
sources of propulsion and braking
Be able to use the laws of constant angular accel.
Grasp the applications to human movement
Questions to Think About
Why would tight calf muscles restrict the ability to
run more than the ability to walk?
Which muscles are used to speed up the extension
of the elbow during a jump shot in basketball?
As the knee flexes after landing from a jump, why
are the knee extensors active?
If you are trying to increase a baseball players bat
speed at impact, what kinematic variables should
you consider?
Angular Kinematics
Kinematics
The description of motion as a function of space
and time
Forces causing the motion are not considered
Angular Motion (Rotation)
All points in an object move in a circle about a
single, fixed axis of rotation
All points move through the same angle in the
same time
Angular Kinematics
The kinematics of particles, objects, or systems
undergoing angular motion
Angular Kinematics & Motion
Volitional movement
performed through rotation
of the body segments
The body is often analyzed
as a collection of rigid,
rotating segments linked at
the joint centers
This is a rough
approximation
ANKLE
KNEE
HIP
ELBOW
SHOULDER
NECK
LUMBAR
2
Measuring Angles
0, 2
/2

3/2
= 3.14159
0, 360
90
180
270
Degrees: Radians:
1 radian 57.3
1 radian = 57.3
1 revolution = 360= 2 radians
Positive vs. Negative Angles
0,+360
+90
+180
+270
Positive: Negative:
+57.3
Typical convention:
Positive angles Counterclockwise rotation
Negative angles Clockwise rotation
0,-360
-270
-180
-90
-57.3
Absolute Angle (or Inclination Angle)
Orientation of a line segment with respect to a fixed
line of reference
Use absolute angles for equations relating torques
to motion

Trunk angle
from vertical
Trunk angle
from horizontal

X
Computing Absolute Angles in 2-D
Use trigonometry to compute absolute angles from
(x, y) coordinates of two points
(x
D
, y
D
)
(x
P
, y
P
)
y
P

y
D
x
P
x
D
X
Y

=
D P
D P
x x
y y
atan
3
Relative Angle
Angle between two line segments
Can compute relative angle by subtracting absolute
angles of segments:

2/1
=
2

1
axis of rotation

2/1

1
segment 1
segment 2
Joint Angles
Joint angles are relative angles between adjacent
body segments

ankle

elbow

knee

shoulder

hip
Can think of as:
Rotation of distal
segment relative
to proximal
and/or
Rotation of
proximal segment
relative to distal
Joint angle of zero =
anatomical position

elbow

knee
Joint Angles in 2-D
Flexion & Abduction : between longitudinal axes
External rotation: between AP or ML axes
Sagittal View Frontal View
AP
PELVIS
Transverse View
ML
PELVIS

flexion

abduct
KNEE
SHOULDER
AP
THIGH
ML
THIGH
HIP

external
Measuring Joint Angles
Devices for directly measuring joint angles:
Goniometer
Electrogoniometer V
4
Computing Joint Angles
Involves subtracting absolute angles of segments
Exact formula and order of subtraction depends on
the joint and the convention chosen

knee
ANKLE
HIP
KNEE

thigh
=25

leg
=70

trunk
=60

hip

hip
=
trunk

thigh

knee
=
leg

thigh
If facing left and
flexion > 0:
Range of Motion
Hip
ROM
Flexion
ROM
Extension ROM
Can measure for person or task as:
Maximum joint angle
Difference between maximum
and minimum joint angles
Restrictions in range of motion
can impair performance
Exceeding functional range of
motion can result in injury
Excessive or restricted range of
motion can indicate injury or
other disorder
Angular Displacement ()
Change in the absolute or relative angle of an
object between two instants in time
Doesnt depend on the path between orientations
Has angular units (e.g. degrees, radians)
angular
displacement
axis of rotation
final
orientation
initial
orientation
Computing Angular Displacement
Compute angular displacement () by subtracting
initial from final orientation angle:
=
final

initial
axis of rotation

final

initial
initial orientation
final
orientation
5
Computing Displacement
When computing displacement, must continuously
increase or decrease over the range of motion
# of full rotations thus included in displacement

i
= 320

f
= 390(not 30)
=
f

i
= 70

f
= -40(not 320)

i
= 30
= -70
crossing the x-axis in
the + direction
crossing the x-axis in
the direction
Angular Velocity ()
Rate of change of the angle of an object
=

t
angular
velocity
change in angle
change in time
angular
displacement
change in time
=

final

initial
t
final
t
initial
=
Can compute for an absolute or a relative angle
Symbolic notation:
Has units of (angular units)/time (e.g. radians/s, /s)
=
gives average angular velocity from t
initial
to t
final
Example Problem #1
At stride foot contact of a baseball pitch, a pitchers
shoulder is in 88of external rotation
In the arm cocking phase, the shoulder externally
rotates through a displacement of 86.
When the ball is released 37 ms later, at the end of
the acceleration phase, the shoulder is in 64of
external rotation
What was a) the shoulder angle at the end of the
arm cocking phase? b) the average shoulder
angular velocity during the acceleration phase?
Average vs. Instantaneous Velocity
Previous formula gives average velocity between an
initial time and a final time
Instantaneous angular velocity =
angular velocity at a single instant in time
Instantaneous angular velocity often more important
Estimate using the central difference method:
at t
1
=
[ at (t
1
+ t)] [ at (t
1
t)]
(t
1
+ t) (t
1
t)
where t is a very small change in time
6
Relative Angular Velocity
Rate of change of the angle between two segments
If segment 2 is rotating at velocity
2/1
relative to
segment 1, and segment 1 is rotating at velocity
1
,
the angular velocity of segment 2 is:

2/1

2/1
Angular
velocity of
segment 2
relative to
segment 1
Segment 1
Segment 2

2
=
1
+
2/1

2
Example Problem #2
During a forehand tennis stroke, a player is rotating
her pelvis towards the ball at 200/s, horizontally
adducting her shoulder at 540/s, and extending
her wrist at 150/s.
What are the absolute angular velocities of:
Her pelvis-and-torso?
Her upper limb?
Her hand-and-racquet?
Angular Velocity as a Slope
Given a graph of angular position vs. time:
slope = average
from t
1
to t
2
time (s)

(
d
e
g
r
e
e
s
)
t
2
t
1
t
slope = instantaneous
at t
1
t
(21)

(
2

1
)
Can estimate vs. time from slope, as done previously
Angular Acceleration
Rate of change of angular velocity
=

t
angular
acceleration
change in angular
velocity
change in time

1

0
t
1
t
0
=
Symbolic notation:
Has units of (angular units)/time
2
(e.g. rad/s
2
, /s
2
)
=
gives average angular accel. from t
0
to t
1
7
Instantaneous Angular Accel.
Previous formula gives average angular acceleration
between an initial time and a final time
Instantaneous angular acceleration =
angular acceleration at a single instant in time
Estimate using the central difference method:
at t
1
=
[ at (t
1
+ t)] [ at (t
1
t)]
(t
1
+ t) (t
1
t)
where t is a very small change in time
Effects of Angular Acceleration
Velocity Acceleration Change in Velocity
(+) (+)
(+) ()
() ()
() (+)
Velocity and acceleration
In same direction: velocity increases magnitude
Opposite directions: velocity decreases magnitude
Larger accel. magnitude faster change in velocity
Increase in + dir.
Decrease in + dir.
Increase in dir.
Decrease in dir.
Angular Acceleration as a Slope
Given a graph of angular velocity vs. time:
time (s)

(
d
e
g
/
s
)
t
2
t
1
t
t
(21)

(
2

1
)
slope = instantaneous
at t
1
slope = average
from t
1
to t
2
Can estimate vs. time from slope, as done previously
Example Problem #3
A volleyball player spikes the ball
Starting with her shoulder flexed, she begins to
extend her shoulder to bring her arm forward
She contacts the ball 120 ms later, with her shoulder
extending at 700/s
After another 100 ms, at the end of follow-through,
her shoulder stops extending
What was the average acceleration at the shoulder
before ball contact and after ball contact?
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Propulsive & Braking Phases
Propulsive Phase
Magnitude of velocity increases
Velocity and acceleration in same direction
Propulsion produced by:
Agonist muscles (concentric contraction)
External torques in direction of motion
Braking Phase
Magnitude of velocity decreases
Velocity and acceleration in opposite directions
Braking produced by:
Antagonist muscles (eccentric contraction)
External torques opposite to direction of motion
0
40
80
120
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
E
l
b
o
w

A
n
g
l
e

(
d
e
g
)
Example: Biceps Curl
-800
-400
0
400
800
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
A
c
c
e
l
e
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
d
e
g
/
s
2
)
-250
-150
-50
50
150
250
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
V
e
l
o
c
i
t
y

(
d
e
g
/
s
)
F
W

-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Time (s)
S
t
i
c
k

a
n
g
l
e

(
d
e
g
)
Example Problem #4a
Pictured is the absolute angle of a hockey stick during
a slap shot. Sketch the angular velocity and angular
acceleration during the shot and identify its phases.

How would the

solution differ if
the player
pauses at the
end of the
backswing?
How and why
might this
affect the
speed of the
shot?
-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
S
t
i
c
k

A
n
g
l
e

(
d
e
g
)
Example
Problem #4b
-200
-100
0
100
200
300
400
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
S
t
i
c
k

V
e
l
o
c
i
t
y

(
d
e
g
/
s
)
P B P B
P B P B
-2000
-1000
0
1000
2000
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
S
t
i
c
k

A
c
c
e
l
.

(
d
e
g
/
s
2
)
Time (s)
9
Laws of Constant Angular Accel.
where:
= angular acceleration

0
= angular velocity at initial time t
0

1
= angular velocity at final time t
1
= angular displacement between t
0
and t
1
t = change in time (= t
1
t
0
)
Use + values for + direction, values for direction

1
=
0
+ t
= (
0
+
1
) t
=
0
t + () (t)
2

1
2
=
0
2
+ 2 ()
When angular acceleration is constant:
Example Problem #5
A discus thrower stands facing the back of the
circle and starts to spin.
He releases the discus 2 seconds later after
spinning 540(1.5 revolutions) to his left.
Assume that he accelerates at a constant rate.
What was his angular acceleration as he spun?
How fast was he spinning after the first 180?
How fast was he spinning at the time of release?