You are floating motionless in outer space. Your mass is 70 kg. Your 70 kg transporter floats by and you attempt to bring in closer by flexing your right arm. Are you more likely to produce an isotonic or isometric contraction? Explain.
To determine whether you are more likely to produce an isotonic or isometric contraction when trying to bring the transporter closer by flexing your right arm in outer space, let's first understand what these types of contractions are.
An isotonic contraction occurs when the muscle changes in length, resulting in movement or joint motion. In this type of contraction, the force generated by the muscle is greater than the opposing force, allowing for movement to occur. Examples of isotonic contractions include lifting an object or walking.
On the other hand, an isometric contraction occurs when the muscle generates force without any change in length, resulting in no movement or joint motion. In this type of contraction, the force generated by the muscle is equal to or less than the opposing force, preventing movement from occurring. Examples of isometric contractions include pushing against an immovable object or holding a weight in a fixed position.
Now, in the given scenario, you are floating motionless in outer space, which means there is no direct external force acting on your body. Since there is no gravitational force or contact with any surface to push against, attempting to bring the transporter closer by flexing your right arm would result in an isometric contraction.
When you flex your right arm, your muscles will contract, generating force. However, since there is no opposing force to overcome or external surface to push against, there will be no change in the length of your muscles, and therefore, no movement will occur. Instead, the generated force will be equal to the opposing force of the transporter, effectively creating an isometric contraction.
In summary, when trying to bring the transporter closer by flexing your right arm while floating motionless in outer space, you would be more likely to produce an isometric contraction because there is no external force or surface to overcome, resulting in no movement.
In the given scenario, you are floating motionless in outer space and you try to bring your 70 kg transporter closer by flexing your right arm. This situation involves muscle contractions.
To understand whether an isotonic or isometric contraction is more likely, let's first define what these terms mean:
1. Isotonic contraction: In an isotonic contraction, the muscle changes length, and the tension remains constant. It occurs when the muscle contracts and moves a load. For example, when you lift a weight in a traditional gym setting, your muscles undergo isotonic contractions.
2. Isometric contraction: In an isometric contraction, the muscle generates tension but does not change length. It occurs when the muscle contracts but does not move a load. For example, when you push against an unmoving wall, your muscles undergo isometric contractions.
Now, analyzing the situation in outer space, we can determine that you are unable to move due to the absence of gravitational forces. Since there is no external load to be moved, flexing your right arm will not result in any movement of the transporter.
Therefore, in this specific scenario, you would most likely produce an isometric contraction. This is because your arm muscles are generating tension to attempt to move the transporter, but since there is no external load, your muscles will not change in length or produce any movement.