Final answer:
The process involves measuring the arm's mass by distributing weight between scales under the elbow and hand, and includes creating a free body diagram, factoring in the mechanical advantage of muscles like the biceps and triceps.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of measuring the mass of a person's arm in anatomical studies involves having the subject lie on their back, extend their arm, and place scales under the elbow and hand to determine the arm's mass and its center of mass. This approach, which includes creating a free body diagram, leverages the mechanical advantage of muscles and skeletal structure to provide insights into the distribution of mass in the limbs. Center of mass, skeletal muscles, and mechanical advantage are key concepts that emerge from this thought experiment.
To analyze the data, it's important to consider the distances from the shoulder joint to the scales and potentially adjust the position of the scale under the hand for additional information. Muscles such as the biceps and triceps play crucial roles in this system, functioning as pairs to exert much larger internal forces than what is applied externally to the world.