Help Understanding Gravitational/Elastic Potential Energy and related

[Pennywise38]

As part of a Physics assignment I have to put together a Power Point Presentation and Worksheet with Solutions which teachs a topic. I got The Physics of Bungee Jumping.


There is a website supplied which was supposed to have everything needed informational wise however due to some issue, the equations are all over the place or jumbled to the point where they are unreadable.


Page 15-18
http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/sp/sh/sci/phy2204/cur_guide/2204appendixa.pdf

The text which explains the subject references to these equations which I can't see so the entire ressource becomes very hard to use (beside the beginning which is where I found out about the Potential energy types needed and then I looked a bit into them)

Because this is a topic I've never been taught before, it is somewhat difficult to understand what is going on with the equations and therefore the whole topic.

I am asking if anyone can tell me the equations that are missing given the context or provide any other information about Bungee Jumping, hopefully with equations.

It would be a big help so I could really get through this.

 

[||spoon||]

the useful equations would probably be:

Ek=1/2mv^2, where Ek is kinetic energy, m is mass and. V is velocity
Ug=mgh, where Ug is gravitational potential energy m is mass, g is acceleration due to gravity and h is height
Us=1/2kx^2 where, Us is elastic potential energy, k is spring constant and x is amount of compression/extension of spring.

 

[charng]

Hello there,

I can understand how frustrating it can be when the resources you are using for your assignment are not clear or missing important information. Let me try to help you understand the concepts of gravitational and elastic potential energy and how they relate to bungee jumping.

Gravitational potential energy is the energy that an object has due to its position in a gravitational field. It is given by the equation PE = mgh, where PE is the potential energy, m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the object from a reference point. This means that the higher an object is and the greater its mass, the more gravitational potential energy it has.

Elastic potential energy is the energy stored in an object when it is stretched or compressed. This energy is given by the equation PE = 1/2kx^2, where PE is the potential energy, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement of the object from its equilibrium position. This means that the stiffer the spring (higher k value) and the greater the displacement, the more elastic potential energy is stored.

Now, let's apply these concepts to bungee jumping. When a person jumps off a platform, they have a certain amount of gravitational potential energy due to their height. As they fall, this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion. When they reach the end of the bungee cord, the cord stretches and stores elastic potential energy. This energy then converts back into kinetic energy as the person is bounced back up. This process continues until all the energy is dissipated and the person comes to a stop.

As for the missing equations, I would recommend reaching out to your teacher or professor for clarification or finding other reliable sources online that can provide the equations you need. It's important to have a clear understanding of the equations and how they are used in order to effectively teach the topic in your presentation.

I hope this helps you in your assignment and gives you a better understanding of the physics behind bungee jumping. Remember, if you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask for help. Good luck with your presentation!