Name: Ryan Hutama (244301576)

Exercise 2: Skeletal Muscle Physiology: Activity 7: Isotonic Contractions and the Load-Velocity Relationship Lab Report
Pre-lab Quiz Results
You scored 0% by answering 0 out of 5 questions correctly.
1. During an isotonic concentric contraction, the
Correct answer: b. force generated by the muscle is greater than the weight of the attached load.
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2. During an isotonic concentric contraction
Correct answer: b. the latent period increases with heavier loads.
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3. During the latent period for an isotonic concentric contraction
Correct answer: c. cross bridges cycle and, when muscle tension exceeds the load, muscle shortening occurs.
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4. Muscle shortening velocity
Correct answer: a. decreases with heavier loads.
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5. An isotonic contraction of a muscle is one in which
Correct answer: a. the length of the muscle changes.
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Experiment Results
Predict Question:
Predict Question: As the load on the muscle increases, what will happen to the latent period, the shortening velocity, the
distance that the weight moves, and the contraction duration?
Your answer : a. The latent period will stay the same, the shortening velocity will decrease, the distance will decrease, and
the contraction duration will increase.
Stop & Think Questions:
What kind of contraction did you observe when you attached the 2.0 gram weight to the skeletal muscle and stimulated a
contraction?
You correctly answered: c. isometric
Experiment Data:
Voltage

Length

Weight

8.5
8.5
8.5
8.5

75
75
75
75

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0

Velocity
(mm/msec)
0.100
0.057
0.022
0.000

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Twitch Duration
(msec)
78.00
49.00
30.00
0.00

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Distance Lifted
(mm)
4.0
2.0
0.5
0.0

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Post-lab Quiz Results

You scored 0% by answering 0 out of 6 questions correctly.
1. Which of the weights allowed the fastest muscle shortening velocity?
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Correct answer: a. 0.5-g weight
2. Which of the weights induced the longest latent period of the muscle contraction?
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Correct answer: c. 1.5-g weight
3. Which weight did the muscle contraction move the greatest distance?
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Correct answer: a. 0.5-g weight
4. Which of the weights allowed the longest duration of muscle contraction?
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Correct answer: a. 0.5-g weight
5. An isotonic contraction of a muscle is one in which
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Correct answer: a. the length of the muscle changes.
6. When lifting a heavy load
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Correct answer: d. the muscle shortening velocity is decreased in comparison with lighter loads.

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Review Sheet Results

1. If you were using your bicep muscles to curl a 7-kg dumbbell, when would your muscles be contracting isotonically?
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2. Explain why the latent period became longer as the load became heavier in the experiment. How well did the results
compare with your prediction?
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3. Explain why the shortening velocity became slower as the load became heavier in this experiment. How well did the
results compare with your prediction?
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4. Describe how the shortening distance changed as the load became heavier in this experiment. How well did the results
compare with your prediction?
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5. Explain why it would take you longer to perform 10 repetitions lifting a 10-kg weight than it would to perform the same
number of repetitions with a 5-kg weight.
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6. Describe what would happen in the following experiment: A 2.5-g weight is attached to the end of the isolated whole
skeletal muscle used in these experiments. Simultaneously, the muscle is maximally stimulated by 8.5 volts and the platform
supporting the weight is removed. Will the muscle generate force? Will the muscle change length? What is the name for this
type of contraction?
You did not answer this question.

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