Equilibrium & types

Equilibrium
oA body is said to be in equilibrium when the
resultant of the system of forces acting on it is zero.
oEquilibrium is a state when all the forces and actions
acting on the body nullify each other resulting in
stable, balanced and unchanged position.
oIt is the stage when the body is either in a state of rest
or moving with a constant velocity.
oImportantly the equilibrant forces and resultant
forces is equal in magnitude but it must be opposite
 Types of Equilibrium
oStable equilibrium – a state in which a body tends
to return to its original position after being disturbed.
oUnstable equilibrium - a state of equilibrium in
which a small disturbance will produce large change.
oNeutral equilibrium - when forces is applied on a
body such that on removal of that body doesn’t
retain its original position but center of gravity
of the body coincides with the point of support
Difference between equilibrium,
balance, & stability
 Equilibrium
oIt is a state of balance in which all forces are equal
oA body or object is said to be in equilibrium when
a) the sum of the forces acting on it is equal to zero
and
b) the sum of the torques acting on it is equal to zero.
In other words, there are no misbalancing forces or
torques
oCoaches and motor fitness experts rarely use the
word equilibrium in their respective field.
 Stability
oStability is the ability to maintain ones Balance in
both static and dynamic situations without
mechanical devices.
oFor Coaches and motor fitness experts, Stability
depend on the mass and mass distribution of the
object or body and also on the potential of the
neuromuscular system to respond and counter
disruptions to its stability
 Balance
oBalance is the ability to control equilibrium during
change of body’s position
oCoaches and motor fitness experts interpret balance
as a condition in which a body or object is not
linearly or angularly moving
oIn reference to the human body, if it is not “falling
over” it is said to be in balance (e.g., a gymnast
maintaining a handstand).
 Five Principles of Balance and Stability

1. For balance to exist, the line of gravity must

intersect the base of support.
2. If the area of the base of support of an object is
increased, this tends to increase the stability of the
object.
3. The lower the center of gravity is above the base of
support the more stable the object tends to be.
4. Objects that are more massive tend to be more
stable.

5. For an object, the farther the line of gravity’s

intersection is from the edge of its base of support the
more stable the object tends to be in that direction.