Postural Control Exam 3 Practice

The main idea is the location where the total contact force from the body is applied to the support surface. When you stand or balance, all forces from muscles and gravity combine into a single ground reaction force, and the point where this resultant force acts on the surface is the center of pressure. It can shift as you sway or shift weight, reflecting how the pressure distribution under the feet changes. This concept is distinct from the center of mass or center of gravity, which describe where the body’s mass is concentrated and how gravity acts on it, not where the external force is applied on the ground. The base of support is simply the area in contact with the surface; the center of pressure moves within that area as you adjust posture. So the term describing the center of distribution of total force applied to the supporting surface is the center of pressure.