PURPOSE: To determine the minimum value of the spring constant of a bungee rope to ensure a safe jump.
DESCRIPTION: Student of mass M jumps from a cliff of height H tied to a bungee rope of unstretched length Lo. Assume a vertical jump with initial velocity of zero. Neglect air resistance and mass of the rope.
SUGGESTIONS: DANGER - IMPORTANT NOTE: Bungee cords are made of shock cords (elastomers) or from rubber. They DO NOT behave as linear springs. It would be dangerous to assume linearity of a real bungee jumping cord and make calculations on this basis.
REFERENCES: (PIRA unavailable.) See Demonstration Reference File for sample calculation.
EQUIPMENT: Spring on support with jump platform, spider.
SETUP TIME: 5 min.
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