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Understanding the physics of bungee jumping

Article in Physics Education · December 2009

DOI: 10.1088/0031-9120/45/1/007

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 FEATURES
www.iop.org/journals/physed

Understanding the physics of

bungee jumping
André Heck1 , Peter Uylings1,2 and Ewa Ke˛ dzierska1
1
AMSTEL Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2
Bonhoeffercollege, Castricum, The Netherlands

E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]

Abstract
Changing mass phenomena like the motion of a falling chain, the behaviour
of a falling elastic bar or spring, and the motion of a bungee jumper surprise
many a physicist. In this article we discuss the first phase of bungee jumping,
when the bungee jumper falls, but the bungee rope is still slack. In
instructional material this phase is often considered a free fall, but when the
mass of the bungee rope is taken into account, the bungee jumper reaches
acceleration greater than g . This result is contrary to the usual experience
with free falling objects and therefore hard to believe for many a person, even
an experienced physicist. It is often a starting point for heated discussions
about the quality of the experiments and the physics knowledge of the
experimentalist, or it may even prompt complaints about the quality of
current physics education. But experiments do reveal the truth and students
can do them supported by information and communication technology (ICT)
tools. We report on a research project done by secondary school students and
use their work to discuss how measurements with sensors, video analysis of
self-recorded high-speed video clips and computer modelling allow study of
the physics of bungee jumping.

M This article features online multimedia enhancements

The thrilling physics of bungee jumping A simple energy model of a bungee jump can
be used to generate strain guidelines and practical
Leaping from a tall structure such as a crane or design equations for the sizing of an all-rubber
a bridge to which the jumper is attached by his bungee rope [3]. In many studies (e.g., [1, 4–6]),
or her ankles by a large rubber band is a thrilling the motion is considered one dimensional, the rope
experience. This event, better known as bungee is modelled as a massless elastic, the jumper is
jumping, can also serve as an intriguing context for replaced by a point mass, aerodynamic effects are
physics lessons and practical work [1, 2]. Physics ignored, and the stress–strain curve of the rope is
can help to give answers to safety questions like assumed linear (i.e., Hooke’s law applies). The
‘How do I know that the rubber band has the right bungee jump can then be divided into three phases:
length and strength for my jump?’ and ‘How am (i) a free fall (with acceleration of gravity g ) of the
I sure that the g -forces are kept low enough that jumper when the rope is still slack; (ii) the stretch
bungee jumping does not hurt?’ phase until the rope reaches its maximum length;

0031-9120/10/010063+10$30.00 © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd PH YSICS EDUCATION 45 (1) 63

A Heck et al
and (iii) the rebound phase, consisting of a damped The students formulated the following re-
oscillatory motion. search question: ‘How large is the acceleration in
Several assumptions in this model of bungee a bungee jump and to what degree is this acceler-
jumping can be removed so that the results of ation influenced by the relative mass of the rope
models and experiments are in better agreement. and the jumper?’ Using the analogy of the mo-
Kockelman and Hubbard [7] included the effects tion of a bullwhip, they hypothesized that the ac-
of the elastic properties of the rope, jumper air celeration would be greater than g and that this ef-
drag, and jumper push-off. Strnad [8] described fect would be more dramatic if the rope was rel-
a theoretical model of a bungee jump that takes atively heavy as compared with the jumper. They
only the mass of the bungee rope into account. The collected position–time data through video mea-
first phase of bungee jumping can also be related to surements on a dropped scale model (an Action
other phenomena such as the dynamics of a falling, Man toy figure) and on dropped wooden blocks of
perfectly flexible chain suspended at one end and various weights attached to ropes of various stiff-
released with the two ends near to each other at nesses. Figure 1 is a sketch of the experimental
the same vertical elevation [9–14]. Experiments, setting, taken from the students’ report.
numerical simulations, and analytical models The velocity and acceleration of the dropped
discussed in the literature (also for discrete models object were computed by numerical differentia-
of chains) point to the paradoxical phenomenon tion. Soon the students realized that the mass ra-
that the tip of a freely falling, tightly folded chain tio between rope and objects was too low to see a
with one end suspended from a rigid support clear result and they repeated the experiment with
moves faster than a free falling body under gravity. objects of larger mass ratio. The graph of the ac-
This phenomenon is the main subject of this celeration at the moment that the block has fallen
article, but we place it in the context of a research a distance equal to the rest length of the elastic as
project of secondary school students and discuss a function of the mass ratio of the elastic and the
how technology can contribute to the realization block is shown in figure 2, together with the graph
of such challenging practical investigations. of the following theoretical result:
 
A secondary school student project µ (4 + µ)
a = g 1+ , (1)
In the Dutch examination programme of senior 8
secondary education, which is organized in
where µ is the mass ratio of the elastic and the
so-called profiles consisting of fixed subject
wooden block. This formula can be found in [14]
combinations, students are required to build up
and on the Internet [15]. The students noted that
an examination portfolio by carrying out some
small practical investigation tasks and one rather the graphs obtained by measurement and theory
large (80 h), cross-disciplinary research or design are alike, with the theoretical values just a bit
assignment. In the ‘Nature and Health’ and higher. They attributed the difference mainly to
‘Nature and Technology’ profiles, teams of two the development of heat during the motion.
students may collaborate in creating their piece of Not knowing that a Dutch physics teacher
work as independent experimental research on a had published around the same time on an
topic of their own choice. experimental verification of the physics of bungee
In 2003, Niek Dubbelaar and Remco Brantjes, jumping [16], the students wrote an article about
who were two secondary school students from their work that was published in the journal of the
the Bonhoeffer college in Amsterdam, teamed Dutch Physics Society [17]. It triggered quite a
up to investigate the physics of bungee jumping, number of reactions in the journal and for almost a
triggered by their own interest and an article [4] year on the Internet. It seemed that a major part of
on www.bungee.com. In particular, they the physics community, at all levels of education,
were intrigued by the alleged ‘greater than g were suddenly playing with ropes, chains, elastics,
acceleration’ of a bungee jumper and, during their and so on. There were complaints about the quality
experimental work, they contacted one of the of physics teaching in the Netherlands, arguing
authors of a published paper on this subject [14] that obviously(!) a  g and that the students’
for more information. work proved that the level of physics education

64 PHYSICS EDUCATION January 2010

 Understanding the physics of bungee jumping

platform

weight

ruler

points of attachment

elastic

camera

In the same issue, two theoretical physicists [18]

4.5 agreed with the findings of the students and they
fit of acceleration (g)
explained that physics intuition is easily fooled, as
4.0 1+
8 everyone is taught the Galilean paradigm of the
3.5 motion of constant masses, according to which
every acceleration must be produced by a force.
3.0 A launched rocket and a falling chain or slinky are
important counterexamples to this line of thought.
2.5 Actually, as we will see in the theoretical section,
believing the statement a > g means giving up or
2.0 generalizing the law F = ma .
1.5
Other experiments on bungee jumping
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 An in-service training module on bungee jumping
has been developed in the framework of the
Figure 2. Graphical display of experimental results European project ‘Information Technology for
and fit (purple) and computed values (red). Understanding Science’ (IT for US). All teaching
and learning activities, which can be downloaded
in the Netherlands had degraded in the last few from the project’s website [19], are based on
decades. the use of the COACH environment3 [20] for data
The editorial commentary was subtle, but to 3 COACH 6 is a versatile computer learning and authoring
the point: ‘The students who wrote the paper environment that provides integrated tools for MBL-based
may consider it a compliment that scepticism measurement, control activities, digital image and video
analysis, and computer modelling. It has been translated into
overcame professional physicists and physics
many languages, is used in many countries, and the CMA
teachers. That’s how (or maybe it is just the Foundation distributes it. For more information, see www.cma.
point that) experienced intuition can be wrong.’ science.uva.nl.

January 2010 PHYSICS EDUCATION 65

A Heck et al

(a) (b)

32

28

24

20
a (m s–2)

16

12

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
time (s)

logging, for video analysis, and for computer other block is chained. The chained block touches
modelling, simulation and animation. One of the the ground earlier than the block that is in free
laboratory experiments is the measurement of the fall, which can be observed with the naked eye
force during stretching of the elastic with different and can be recorded with a common camcorder.
masses and of the force encountered by jumpers on This implies that the chained block must have
different bungee ropes. Another bungee jumping acceleration greater than the acceleration of free
related experiment is the measurement of the fall. The motion of the blocks is recorded with a
acceleration of a dropped, chained wooden block high-speed camera at a speed of 300 frames s−1 (a
using an attached accelerometer. Figure 3 shows video clip is available in the online version of the
a measurement result (a) and the experimental journal at stacks.iop.org/physed/45/63/mmedia).
setting (b). Without doubt, the acceleration is In the video analysis tool of COACH [20], the
greater than g and reaches its maximum value vertical position of the blocks can be automatically
when the chain is completely stretched. measured via point tracking. Manual data
Originally, the students made video record- collection would be too time consuming.
ings of chained objects falling from a height of
Figure 5 shows the graphs of the measured
about 4 m with a webcam operating at a speed
distances of the blocks, relative to the points where
of 30 frames s−1 . This corresponds to a data set
they were released (i.e., we select a coordinate
of 15 measured positions. The size of this data
system with a positive vertical coordinate in
set is too small for computing reliable accelera-
the downward direction), and the velocity–time
tions through numerical differentiation. Much bet-
graphs of the blocks. These graphs have
ter results could be obtained with a high-speed
camera. However, at the time that the students been obtained with a numerical differentiation
did their project such cameras were very expen- algorithm that is based on a penalized quintic
sive. Nowadays point-and-shoot cameras that can spline smoothing technique (for details about
record videos at a speed up to 1000 frames s −1 are the point tracking and numerical differentiation
available at a consumer level price. algorithms in COACH, we refer the reader to [21]).
We tried this out in the following experiment The blue velocity–time graph, which is almost a
(see figure 4): two identical wooden blocks are straight line, belongs to the free falling block. The
dropped at the same time from a height of a couple red graphs, where the cross-hairs in scan mode
of metres. One block is in free fall and the meet, belong to the chained block that has already

66 PHYSICS EDUCATION January 2010

 Understanding the physics of bungee jumping

Theoretical underpinning of a > g

Kagan and Kott [14] derived equation (1) by
applying the law of conservation of energy. This
is correct but it does not give much insight into
what is really going on. In a more direct approach,
Pasveer and de Muynck [15] applied the following
equation of motion:
 dp
F= , (2)
dt
where the left-hand side is the sum of forces F
acting on the object and the right-hand side is
the derivative of the momentum p of the moving
object. However, they did not reproduce the result
of Kagan and Kott. We resolve this in the next
section.
In the case of the chained block we do not deal
with a falling rigid body, but instead with an object
of changing mass, not unlike the moving end of a
lion tamer’s whip. Therefore, the traditional form
of Newton’s second law F = ma is not suitable
here and should be replaced by the following
generalized form:
 d pobj dm obj
F= = vobj + m obj aobj , (3)
dt dt
where m obj , vobj , aobj, and pobj represent the
mass of the object (changing in time), and
Figure 4. Dropping two wooden blocks simultaneously the velocity, acceleration and momentum of the
from a height of a few metres, while one of the blocks object, respectively, and F represents a force
is chained and the other is in free fall.
acting on the object.
The most interesting object is in this case the
wooden block together with its attached chain.
The picture of the experimental setting shown in
travelled at the selected moment a greater distance figure 3(b) illustrates that the moving part on the
than the free falling object. right-hand side diminishes during the fall because

Figure 5. Video analysis of two dropped blocks. The red position and velocity–time graphs relate to the chained
block and the blue curves belong to the free falling block.

January 2010 PHYSICS EDUCATION 67

A Heck et al
moving part of the chain. We call this the free side
of the bend. Thus
1 m
m obj = M + (L − y) ,
2 L
(5)
y dm obj mv
=− .
dt 2L
M
The left-hand side of equation (3) is not as simple
as it may seem at first sight. Of course a
gravitational force acts on the chain on the free
side of the bend and friction forces, but as Calkin
and March [9] pointed out, there is also a nonzero
tension on this part, which additionally pulls the
chain down.
We consider in this article an alterna-
tive perspective, similar to the viewpoint of
Biezeveld [16]: the free side of the bend falls with
speed v , the fixed side of the bend hangs still,
and the bend, where links of the chain in mo-
tion come to rest, moves at speed u = 12 v . In
part of the chain ‘moves’ to the left-hand side. This equation (3), vobj denotes the velocity with which
implies the mass leaves the moving system. In our case,
dm obj this velocity therefore almost instantaneously de-
< 0. (4) creases from v to 0 and is taken to be the aver-
dt
 age value, i.e., the speed of the bend. We ignore
Because F = m obj g when only gravitational friction forces and only take the gravitational force
force is taken into account and v > 0 in the into account:
direction of motion, a > g must hold! 
F = m obj g, vobj = u = 12 v, aobj = a.
(6)
A detailed mathematical model It is noted that Pasveer and de Muynck [18]
With the goals in mind of being able to compare erroneously used vobj = v . Substitution of
theoretical results with experimental results and equations (5) and (6) into equation (3) gives
being able to understand the graphical computer
model shown in the next section, we give a detailed
1
µv 2
a=g+ 2
. (7)
derivation of the equation of motion. Figure 6 is a µ (L − y) + 2 L
sketch of the situation of a falling chained block.
The following symbols are used (numerical values Instead of considering the velocity v as a function
applicable in the experiment and the computer of time we can also consider it as a function of the
model are in brackets): vertical position y :
M = mass of the block (0.125 kg); dv dv d y dv 1 dv 2
m = mass of the chain (0.68 kg); a= = =v = . (8)
dt d y dt dy 2 dy
µ = m/M = the chain : block mass ratio;
L = length of the chain (4.15 m); Combining equations (7) and (8) we get the
g = acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m s−2 ); following linear, first-order ODE:
a = acceleration of the chained block;
dv 2 µv 2
v = speed of the chained block; + = 2g. (9)
y = distance travelled by the block. dy µ (y − L) − 2 L
The object under consideration is the right- A person who has already a fair amount of
hand side consisting of the chained block and the knowledge of calculus can easily solve the initial

68 PHYSICS EDUCATION January 2010

 Understanding the physics of bungee jumping

value problem with v 2 (0) = 0. Others may need in a computer language that is dedicated to
a computer algebra system. The solution of the mathematics, science and technology education.
differential equation is The authors take the view that the system
dynamics-based graphical mode of modelling,
4 L + µ (2 L − y) which is similarly implemented in modelling tools
v 2 = gy . (10)
2 L + µ (L − y) such as STELLA and POWERSIM, is simpler for
students and accessible at secondary school level
Substitution of equation (10) into equation (7) (see also, for example, [22]). One of the arguments
gives is that this graphical representation symbolizes
  both the system of equations and the numerical
µy (4 L + µ (2 L − y))
a = g 1+ . (11) algorithm used to solve it, which seems to make
2 (µ (L − y) + 2 L)2 it easier for students to build their own models
Taking y = L in equation (11) gives equation (1). and to achieve results of good quality. A user can
An analytical formula for the time T needed express his or her thoughts about the behaviour of
a dynamic system in the graphical representation,
for the chained block to reach its lowest point
and these ideas are then automatically translated
can be found with a computer algebra system
into more formal mathematical representations.
like MAPLE. As Strnad [8] showed, this formula
The upper left corner of the screen shot in
needs the notion of elliptic functions and is beyond
figure 7 is an example of a graphical model.
secondary school level. However, two interesting
It computes the motion of a free falling block
limiting cases for the falling time T are the free
and a chained block according to the previously
fall of an object over a distance L (µ ↓ 0) and the
presented theory. For example, the second formula
falling chain fixed on one side and free on the other
in equation (5) is behind the outflow dm dt , and
side (µ → ∞):
the formula g + 0.5m objv/m obj is behind the inflow
 a.
2L
lim T = , The graphical model in fact represents a
µ↓0 g computer model, which provides in many cases
 (12) an iterative numerical solution of a system
2L of differential equations, e.g., via a Runge–
lim T ≈ 0.847 .
µ→∞ g Kutta algorithm for integrating the corresponding
differential equation.
This illustrates that when an object and a chain of In figure 7 also shown are the position and
length L that is fixed at height L on one side and is velocity–time graphs of a simulation run and the
held up on the other side are released from height graph of the ratio a/g , which increases while the
L at the same time, the chain reaches the ground chained block is falling. Parameter values have
earlier than the free falling object. been chosen such that the model-based graphs
for the chained block are in good agreement
Computer modelling and simulation with the graphs obtained through measurements.
Secondary school students are most probably not Prediction and measurement match very well: the
able to solve the differential equation (9) by hand. time that the chained block needs to reach its
But even if they have the knowledge of calculus, lowest position according to equation (12) for
it still does not give formulae for the vertical the given masses and chain length is equal to
position, velocity, and acceleration as functions of the measured time and to the time found in a
simulation run within an error margin of 1%!
time. To obtain these, the nonlinear, second-order,
ordinary differential equation (7) in y(t) must be
solved for the initial values a(0) = v(0) = 0. Animation
It suffices to find a numerical solution and the The computer model can also be used to create
modelling tool of COACH 6 brings this within reach an animation of the motion of the chained and
of secondary school students. free falling block. The tool windows on the right-
Biezeveld [16] used the text-based version of hand side of figure 7 are a slider and an animation
the modelling tool, which is in fact programming window that displays the simulation results as

January 2010 PHYSICS EDUCATION 69

A Heck et al

Figure 7. Screen shot of a COACH activity in which a graphical model implements the motion of a chained block (1)
and a free falling block (2). The position and velocity–time graphs of a simulation run have been plotted.
Parameter values are chosen such that the calculated plots for the chained block match well with the measured data
shown as background point plots. The graphical model is connected with a slider and an animation window.

animations where model variables are presented as practical work, and that it brings both physics
animated graphics objects. A student can interact teachers and students down to earth as regards the
with the model and the animation through a slider indiscriminate application of Newton’s second law
bar, that is, select the value of the mass of the F = ma .
chain before the start of the simulation and also Furthermore, theory and experiment supple-
during the model run. Animation allows students ment each other in the activities. We take the
to concentrate on understanding a phenomenon view that modelling is not just the understanding
with the help of simulations before going into of the (computer) model with the hope and expec-
the details of how the simulations have been tation that nothing went wrong during the theo-
implemented by means of computer models. retical work; it includes sound understanding of
the underlying physics principles and of the as-
sumptions made in the modelling process, as well
Conclusion as validation of the model on the basis of experi-
Admittedly, the mathematics and physics of the ments. The latter point is in our opinion essential
falling chained block is more complicated than in good physics education. The words of the No-
usually is the case for problems in physics bel Prize winner Martinus Veltman (cf. [23]): ‘If
schoolbooks. The main reasons are that (i) one removes experiments, physics becomes reli-
motion of a non-rigid body is involved; and (ii) gion. Then the facts do not count anymore, but
the factor 1/2 for the velocity at which links the opinions of someone who was appointed pope’
of the chain come to rest at the bend, which also hold for physics education.
is required in the extra term in the generalized The main role of technology in the students’
Newton law, is easily overlooked (as in [18]). investigative work is to allow them to collect real-
Selling points of the students’ project are that time data of good quality, to construct and use
it is much more challenging work than common computer models of dynamics systems, and to

70 PHYSICS EDUCATION January 2010

 Understanding the physics of bungee jumping
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January 2010 PHYSICS EDUCATION 71

 A Heck et al
real-life phenomena Modelling in Physics and
Physics Education, Proceedings GIREP Conf. André Heck earned MSc degrees in
2006 ed E van den Berg, T Ellermeijer and mathematics and chemistry. He is project
O Slooten (Amsterdam: University of manager at the Faculty of Science of the
Amsterdam) pp 121–36 www.girep2006.nl/ University of Amsterdam. His research
[23] Mols B 2003 Een gevoelige snaar: Veltman vs area is the application of ICT in
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vs Dijkgraaf) Natuurwetenschap Techniek 71 especially in practical work.
18–25
[24] Sismanoglu B, Germano J and Caetano R 2009 A
utilização da filmadora digital para o estudo do Peter Uylings graduated in physics and
movimento dos corpos (Using the camcorder to mathematics, and obtained his PhD in
study bodies movement) Revista Brasileira de theoretical physics. He has a part-time
Ensino de Fı́sica 32 1501 job as a teacher at a secondary school.
His research area is ICT in science
[25] Teodoro T 2006 Embedding modelling in the
education and science curriculum
general physics course: rationale and tools development.
Modelling in Physics and Physics Education,
Proc. GIREP Conf. 2006 ed
E van den Berg, T Ellermeijer and
O Slooten (Amsterdam: University of Ewa Ke˛ dzierska graduated in physics.
Her working area has been ICT in science
Amsterdam) pp 66–77 www.girep2006.nl/
education and teacher training. She is
[26] Heck A and Ellermeijer T 2010 Mathematics involved in the development of the COACH
assistants: meeting the needs of secondary environment and of sample curriculum
school physics education Acta Didactica materials for primary and secondary
Napocensia at press science education.

72 PHYSICS EDUCATION January 2010

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