Posted: August 7th, 2015

The maximum energy that a bone can absorb without breaking depends

The maximum energy that a bone can absorb without breaking depends on its characteristics, such as its cross-sectional area and its elasticity. For healthy human leg bones of approximately 6.00cm2 cross-sectional area, this energy has been experimentally measured to be about 200J .

From approximately what maximum height could a 50.0kg person jump and land rigidly upright on both feet without breaking his legs?

You are probably surprised at how small the answer to part (a) is. People obviously jump from much greater heights without breaking their legs. How can that be? What else absorbs the energy when they jump from greater heights? /(Hint: How did the person in part (a) land? How do people normally land when they jump from greater heights?)/

In light of your answers to parts (a) and (b), what might be some of the reasons that older people are much more prone than younger ones to bone fractures from simple falls (such as a fall in the shower)?