Answer to Question #248804 in Classical Mechanics for Physical neophyte6

Question

1. When you work out a muscle, it bulges thicker. If we think of the muscle fibers like springs, would a stronger muscle be like springs in series or springs in parallel? Explain.
2. Draw a free-body diagram showing the forces exerted on a ring with a weight tethered directly below it. As usual, specify the physical object exerting each force in your diagram. Try to make your forces point in the right direction relative to the drawing given, and try to make them the right sizes relative to each other. Explain the reasoning for all of your choices about directions and sizes of forces.

Answer 1

1. A stronger muscle can be represented by springs in parallel because the common stiffness increases:

$$k_{||}=k_1+k_2+...+k_n.$$

2. The diagram is below: