Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Impulse-Momentum Theorem00:49

Impulse-Momentum Theorem

The total change in the motion of an object is proportional to the total force vector acting on it and the time over which it acts. This product is called impulse, a vector quantity with the same direction as the total force acting on the object.
By writing Newton's second law of motion in terms of the momentum of an object and the external force acting on it, and simultaneously using the definition of the impulse vector, it can be shown that the total impulse on an object is equal to its net...
Impulse01:13

Impulse

According to Newton’s second law of motion, the rate of change of the momentum of an object is the net external force acting on it. The total change in momentum between two timepoints thus depends on both the external force acting on it and the time over which it acts. Describing this mathematically, the total change of an object’s motion is proportional to the force vector and the time over which it is applied. This product is called impulse.
Additionally, it can be shown that the total...
Principle of Angular Impulse and Momentum: Problem Solving01:19

Principle of Angular Impulse and Momentum: Problem Solving

Consider a ball of mass m, attached to a massless rod of known length, subjected to a time-dependent torque. If the initial velocity of the mass is known, then the final velocity of the mass for time t can be determined using the principle of angular impulse and momentum.
Initially, a free-body diagram of the system is drawn to illustrate all the forces acting upon the system, providing a crucial understanding of the dynamics at play. Then, the principle of angular impulse and momentum is...
Principle of Angular Impulse and Momentum01:23

Principle of Angular Impulse and Momentum

The angular impulse and momentum principle provides insights into how forces applied at a distance from an object's rotational axis influence its angular velocity. It builds upon the crucial relationship between the moment of force and angular momentum. By integrating this equation, substituting the limits for the initial and final times, a comprehensive expression representing the angular impulse and momentum principle is derived.
Principle of Impulse and Moment01:15

Principle of Impulse and Moment

When one considers a rigid body undergoing a plane motion, which is essentially a blend of translational and rotational movement, the application of Newton's second law gives the formula for the translational movement of such a body. If this equation is multiplied by a time interval, dt, and then integrated over the limits of integration, it results in an equation that embodies the principle of linear impulse.
Conservation of Linear Momentum for a System of Particles01:28

Conservation of Linear Momentum for a System of Particles

In the dynamic realm of billiards, a fascinating interplay of forces governs the motion of cue balls and stationary balls. When the cue ball collides with a stationary ball, linear momentum is exchanged. The cue ball imparts a fraction of its linear momentum to the stationary ball, causing the cue ball to decelerate while initiating the motion of the stationary ball.
The impulsive force at play during this interaction is of extremely short duration, rendering its impulse negligible. When...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Motor Development in Early Childhood (3-5 Year Olds): Investigating Longitudinal Changes in Children's Movement Patterns and Outcome Performance.

Journal of motor learning and development·2025
Same author

Inter-segmental coordination variability during hopping and running on natural and synthetic turf surfaces.

Sports biomechanics·2025
Same author

Video Analysis of Elite American Football Athletes During Vertical Jump.

Open access journal of sports medicine·2024
Same author

Male Endurance Athletes: Examination of Energy and Carbohydrate Availability and Hormone Responses.

Nutrients·2024
Same author

Using 2 Versions of the Test of Gross Motor Development to Classify and Screen Young Children's Motor Skills: A Comparison Study.

Pediatric exercise science·2024
Same author

Associations of obesity, movement behaviors, and socioeconomic status with fundamental movement skills in children: Results from the REACT project.

American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council·2024
Same journal

Expertise Modulates Anticipatory Synergy Adjustments in a Rapid Motor Skill Under Temporal Constraints.

Journal of motor behavior·2026
Same journal

A Boundary of Ideomotor Control: Semantic Labels Bias Selection but Do Not Tune Motor Execution.

Journal of motor behavior·2026
Same journal

Strategies When Choosing Between Movement Options in a Sequential Task.

Journal of motor behavior·2026
Same journal

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined with Neurofunctional Motor Training in Autistic Children: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

Journal of motor behavior·2026
Same journal

Individualized Virtual Angle Offset Training for Patients with Stroke.

Journal of motor behavior·2026
Same journal

The Role of Exploratory Procedures in Perceiving Affordances in a Bimanual Wielding Task.

Journal of motor behavior·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
09:49

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

Impulse-variability theory: implications for ballistic, multijoint motor skill performance.

M A Urbin1, David F Stodden, Mark G Fischman

  • 1Department of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Alabama 36849-5323, USA. mau0003@tigermail.auburn.edu

Journal of Motor Behavior
|May 21, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Impulse-variability theory explains how muscle force magnitude relates to movement variability in goal-directed actions. This theory is relevant for understanding complex motor skills like throwing and kicking.

More Related Videos

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another
05:12

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Published on: September 18, 2017

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task
10:39

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task

Published on: May 3, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
09:49

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another
05:12

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Published on: September 18, 2017

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task
10:39

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task

Published on: May 3, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Motor Control
  • Biomechanics
  • Human Movement Science

Background:

  • Impulse-variability theory explains the relationship between muscular force magnitude and movement variability.
  • Early research focused on simple movements with minimal degrees of freedom.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the historical roots of impulse-variability theory.
  • To examine the theory's applicability to complex, ballistic, multijoint motor skills.
  • To propose experimental methods for validating the theory in advanced motor skills.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of impulse-variability theory and its historical development.
  • Analysis of the relationship between movement speed and spatial error.
  • Conceptual extension of the theory to multijoint ballistic skills.

Main Results:

  • Impulse-variability theory accounts for the curvilinear force-variability relationship in goal-directed limb movements.
  • The theory's principles are applicable to complex skills like throwing, striking, and kicking.
  • Ballistic force generation is a key parallel between simple and complex motor tasks.

Conclusions:

  • Impulse-variability theory provides a framework for understanding force control in both simple and complex motor skills.
  • Further experimental validation is recommended for ballistic, multijoint motor skill performance.
  • The theory's relevance extends beyond simple laboratory tasks to real-world athletic actions.