A person bending forward to lift a load "with his back" (Figure a) rather than "with his knees" can be injured by large forces exerted on the muscles and vertebrae. The spine pivots mainly at the fifth lumbar vertebra, with the principal supporting force provided by the erector spinalis muscle in the back. To see the magnitude of the forces involved, and to understand why back problems are common among humans, consider the model shown in Figure b, of a person bending forward to lift a W, = 215-N object. The spine and upper body are represented as a uniform horizontal rod of weight W, = 400 N pivoted at the base of the spine. The erector spinalis muscle, attached at a point two-thirds of the way up the spine, maintains the position of the back. The angle between the spine and this muscle is 12.0°. Back muscle

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### Understanding Forces on the Spine While Lifting

When a person bends forward to lift a load "with his back" rather than "with his knees," large forces can act on the muscles and vertebrae. The spine primarily pivots at the fifth lumbar vertebra. The erector spinae muscle in the back provides the main supporting force. This model helps illustrate why back problems are common.

Consider a model of a person bending forward to lift a 215-N object. 

- **Weight of the object (\(W_o\))**: 215 N
- **Weight of the spine and upper body (\(W_b\))**: 400 N

The spine and upper body are represented as a uniform horizontal rod pivoted at the base of the spine.

The erector spinae muscle, attached two-thirds of the way up the spine, maintains the position of the back. The angle between the spine and this muscle is 12.0°.

### Diagrams

- **Figure a**: Illustrates the person bending over, showing the back muscle and pivot point.
- **Figure b**: Displays the forces acting on the spine. It includes:
  - \(R_y\): Vertical force component at the pivot
  - \(R_x\): Horizontal force component at the pivot
  - \(W_b\): Weight of the body
  - \(W_o\): Weight of the object
  - \(\vec{T}\): Tension in the back muscle, angled at 12.0° with respect to the back.

### Questions

(a) Find the tension in the back muscle.
   - Answer: __________ kN

(b) Find the compressional force in the spine (enter the magnitude).
   - Answer: __________ kN

These computations involve considering the forces and angles outlined in the diagram.
Transcribed Image Text:### Understanding Forces on the Spine While Lifting When a person bends forward to lift a load "with his back" rather than "with his knees," large forces can act on the muscles and vertebrae. The spine primarily pivots at the fifth lumbar vertebra. The erector spinae muscle in the back provides the main supporting force. This model helps illustrate why back problems are common. Consider a model of a person bending forward to lift a 215-N object. - **Weight of the object (\(W_o\))**: 215 N - **Weight of the spine and upper body (\(W_b\))**: 400 N The spine and upper body are represented as a uniform horizontal rod pivoted at the base of the spine. The erector spinae muscle, attached two-thirds of the way up the spine, maintains the position of the back. The angle between the spine and this muscle is 12.0°. ### Diagrams - **Figure a**: Illustrates the person bending over, showing the back muscle and pivot point. - **Figure b**: Displays the forces acting on the spine. It includes: - \(R_y\): Vertical force component at the pivot - \(R_x\): Horizontal force component at the pivot - \(W_b\): Weight of the body - \(W_o\): Weight of the object - \(\vec{T}\): Tension in the back muscle, angled at 12.0° with respect to the back. ### Questions (a) Find the tension in the back muscle. - Answer: __________ kN (b) Find the compressional force in the spine (enter the magnitude). - Answer: __________ kN These computations involve considering the forces and angles outlined in the diagram.
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