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Related Concept Videos

Apparent Weight01:09

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True weight is the measure of the gravitational force acting on an object. However, if the object accelerates, its measured weight is different from its true weight. Similar observations can be made when the object is submerged in water. An object's weight in water is its apparent weight, which is equal to the difference between its true weight and the buoyant forces.
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Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
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Mass and weight are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation. For example,  medical records often show our weight in kilograms, but never in the correct units of newtons. In physics, however, there is an important distinction. Weight is the pull of the Earth on an object. It depends on the distance from the center of the Earth. Weight dramatically varies if we leave the Earth's surface, unlike mass, which does not vary with location. On the Moon, for example, the...
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An object's apparent weight is its weight measured by a spring balance at its location. It is different from its true weight, the force with which the Earth pulls it, because of the Earth's rotation. Mathematically, an object's apparent weight equals its true weight minus the centripetal force that keeps it in a circular motion along with the Earth's surface every 24 hours.
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Apparent Weight and the Earth's Rotation01:28

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Since all objects on the Earth's surface move through a circle every 24 hours, there must be a net centripetal force on each object, directed towards the center of that circle. The points of the north and south poles are the only exception to this rule.
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Related Experiment Video

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Getting to Compliance in Forced Exercise in Rodents: A Critical Standard to Evaluate Exercise Impact in Aging-related Disorders and Disease
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Weightlifting exercise and the size-weight illusion.

G Buckingham1, C M Byrne, J Paciocco

  • 1Department of Psychology, School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, David Brewster Building, Edinburgh, EA14 4AS, UK, g.buckingham@hw.ac.uk.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|December 6, 2013
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The size-weight illusion (SWI) did not affect exercise performance in bicep curls. Participants completed the same number of repetitions regardless of dumbbell size, even when one felt lighter.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Motor Control
  • Human Factors

Background:

  • The size-weight illusion (SWI) is a perceptual phenomenon where larger objects feel lighter than smaller objects of equal weight.
  • Understanding the SWI's influence on physical performance is crucial for fields ranging from ergonomics to sports science.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the size-weight illusion impacts real-world lifting behavior, specifically in the context of exercise.
  • To determine if individuals can perform more repetitions of bicep curls with a dumbbell that subjectively feels lighter due to the SWI.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted using 5-lb dumbbells of different sizes.
  • Participants performed maximal bicep curls until volitional fatigue with both large (lighter-feeling) and small (heavier-feeling) dumbbells.
  • Lifting dynamics (velocity, acceleration) and subjective fatigue were measured.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were found in the total number of bicep curls performed between the large and small dumbbells.
  • Participants reported no difference in subjective fatigue levels after exercising with either dumbbell for a set duration.
  • Differences in lifting dynamics were observed, with the small dumbbell exhibiting higher average velocity and peak acceleration.

Conclusions:

  • The size-weight illusion does not appear to influence exercise outcomes or endurance in weight-lifting tasks.
  • Perceptual illusions, like the SWI, may not significantly alter an individual's capacity to persevere through physical exertion.
  • Lifting dynamics are affected by perceived weight, but this does not translate to changes in exercise volume or perceived effort.