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Related Concept Videos

Non-inertial Frames of Reference01:27

Non-inertial Frames of Reference

A reference frame accelerating or decelerating relative to an inertial frame is a non-inertial frame. To help understand this, consider what taking off in an airplane, turning a corner in a car, riding a merry-go-round, and the circular motion of a tropical cyclone all have in common. All these systems are accelerating, decelerating, or rotating relative to the Earth; hence, they all are non-inertial frames. All these systems exhibit inertial forces, which merely seem to arise from motion,...
Inertial Frames of Reference01:03

Inertial Frames of Reference

Newton’s first law is usually considered to be a statement about reference frames. It provides a method for identifying a special type of reference frame: the inertial reference frame. In principle, we can make the net force on a body zero. If its velocity relative to a given frame is constant, then that frame is said to be inertial. So, by definition, an inertial reference frame is a reference frame where Newton's first law holds valid. Newton's first law applies to objects with constant...
Free-falling Bodies: Example01:05

Free-falling Bodies: Example

An object falling without any air resistance under the influence of gravitational force is said to be in free-fall. For free-falling bodies, the acceleration due to gravity is constant, irrespective of their mass. Free-fall is experienced not only by objects falling downward, but also by all objects whose motion is influenced by gravitational force alone. The dynamics of free-fall motion can be calculated using kinematic equations of motion, since free-fall acceleration is constant.
The...
Free-falling Bodies: Introduction01:07

Free-falling Bodies: Introduction

All objects, neglecting air resistance, fall with the same acceleration towards the Earth's center due to the force exerted by the Earth's gravity. This experimentally determined fact is unexpected because we are so accustomed to the effects of air resistance and friction that we expect light objects to fall slower than heavier ones. People believed that a heavier object had a greater acceleration when falling until Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) proved otherwise. We now know this is not the case.
Center of Gravity01:15

Center of Gravity

The center of gravity is the point at which an object's weight appears to be concentrated and can be used to balance the object perfectly. This point is essential in mechanics as it provides information regarding a body's stability and moments of inertia. The center of gravity does not always have to fall within the shape or boundaries of the body; it may also lie outside the body in certain cases.
To determine its location, the principle of moments can be utilized by dividing the object into...
Center of Gravity00:58

Center of Gravity

The center of gravity (COG) of an object is the point where the object's total weight is considered to be concentrated. Knowing the location of the center of gravity is useful when predicting the behavior of a moving object or designing static structures. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of gravity is similar to the center of mass (COM); yet, these two points can be positioned differently. For example, the Moon's center of mass lies very close to its geometric center, but its center...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification
08:05

Design and Analysis for Fall Detection System Simplification

Published on: April 6, 2020

Egocentric and allocentric reference frames for catching a falling object.

Anne Brec'hed Le Séac'h1, Patrice Senot, Joseph McIntyre

  • 1Laboratoire de Neurobiologie des Réseaux Sensorimoteurs, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints Pères, 75006, Paris, France. anne.leseach@free.fr

Experimental Brain Research
|December 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Humans predict falling objects using an allocentric reference frame, not egocentric. This research clarifies how we perceive gravity for movement, crucial for tasks like catching objects.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomechanics
  • Human Perception

Background:

  • Programming movement requires accounting for gravitational acceleration, especially for intercepting falling objects.
  • Understanding gravity's effects is linked to defining 'up' and 'down' using allocentric or egocentric reference frames.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether humans use allocentric or egocentric reference frames to predict gravity's effect on movement.
  • To dissociate between these reference frames by manipulating body orientation relative to gravity.

Main Methods:

  • Participants intercepted virtual balls with controlled acceleration, congruent or not with gravity.
  • Experiments were conducted with participants seated upright or lying down to vary body-axis alignment with the gravitational axis.

Main Results:

  • Data indicate a reliance on an allocentric reference frame for predicting gravity's influence.
  • The observed reliance on the allocentric frame suggests its importance in tasks involving gravitational cues.

Conclusions:

  • Humans utilize an allocentric reference frame, guided by visual and gravitational cues, to predict the effects of gravity during movement.
  • The findings highlight the significance of the allocentric frame in tasks requiring precise time-to-contact estimations under gravitational influence.