The gastrocnemius muscle, in the back of the leg, has two portions, known as the

Question

The gastrocnemius muscle, in the back of the leg, has two portions, known as the medial and lateral heads. Assume that they attach to the Achilles tendon as shown in the figure. The cross-sectional area of each of these two muscles is typically 32cm^2 for many adults.

What is the maximum tension they can produce in the Achilles tendon? (Muscles are attached to bones by means of tendons. The maximum force that a muscle can exert is directly proportional to its cross-sectional area, A, at the widest point. We can express this relationship mathematically as , Fmax = (sigma)(A) where (sigma) is a proportionality constant. Surprisingly, is about the same for the muscles of all animals and has the numerical value of 3.0 x 10^5 in SI units.)

Explanation / Answer

The cos angle is used here to calculate the tangential force on the body.

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