Question

When visiting some countries, you may see a person balancing a load on the head. Explain why the center of mass of the load needs to be directly above the person’s neck vertebrae.

Answer 1

Explanation:

If the center of the load is directly above the vertebrae, there is no torque in the system. This is a good thing so that the vertebrae are not put out of alignment over time. (Of course, this still doesn't prevent compression of the vertebrae over time, which is a possibility.)