Aquatic Kinesiology & Biomechanics Flashcards
7 cards from real ATC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Aquatic Kinesiology & Biomechanics flashcards as text
According to Archimedes' principle, the buoyant force acting on an immersed object is equal to:
Answer: The weight of the water displaced by the object
Archimedes' principle states that the buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object, not its own weight.
Which characteristic of water creates resistance to movement that increases with the square of the patient's velocity?
Answer: Drag force
Drag force is proportional to velocity squared (F ∝ v²), so doubling speed quadruples resistance, making velocity the most powerful progression variable in aquatic therapy.
In the human body, the center of buoyancy is typically located in which region?
Answer: Upper chest and thorax
The center of buoyancy resides in the upper chest because the air-filled lungs make this region less dense, positioning it superior to the center of gravity.
The average specific gravity of the human body is approximately 0.97. What is the primary clinical implication of this value?
Answer: Most patients can float because their density is slightly less than water
A specific gravity below 1.0 (water) means the body is less dense than water, allowing most individuals to float with minimal effort.
According to Pascal's law, hydrostatic pressure in aquatic therapy increases proportionally with:
Answer: Depth of immersion
Hydrostatic pressure increases linearly with depth because the weight of the water column above a point grows as immersion deepens.
An object will float in water when its specific gravity is:
Answer: Less than 1.0
Objects with specific gravity less than 1.0 are less dense than water and therefore experience a net upward buoyant force, causing them to float.
The viscosity of water provides therapeutic benefit in aquatic resistance exercise primarily by:
Answer: Creating consistent resistance throughout the full range of motion in all directions
Water's viscosity provides multidirectional, consistent resistance throughout the entire range of motion, enabling strengthening without the unidirectional limitation of gravity-based resistance.