Bungee Bonanza. Level 1

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Shona Horton
5 years ago
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Bungee Bonanza The problem Level 1 You have recently been employed by the company Bungee Bonanza.

You want to maximise the thrill of the bungee jump and ensure safety at all times.

If you set the platform too low, then the participant (and you!) will be in big trouble as they will hit the ground.

You will use a range of figurines and masses to investigate the relationship between mass and the distance of the drop. The method you use is up to you.

1 Bungee Bonanza The problem Level 1 You have recently been employed by the company Bungee Bonanza. A key part of your role is to adjust the height of the bungee jumping platform based on the mass of each participant. You want to maximise the thrill of the bungee jump and ensure safety at all times. If you set the platform too high, the participant won t end up close enough to the ground at the bottom of their fall and it may be boring. If you set the platform too low, then the participant (and you!) will be in big trouble as they will hit the ground. The investigation To help you explore this problem you will create a scale model of the bungee jump apparatus using linked rubber bands as your bungee rope. You will use a range of figurines and masses to investigate the relationship between mass and the distance of the drop. The method you use is up to you. You will use your knowledge of forces and motion to explain your results and evaluate your experiment in a report for your manager. In your scale model the minimum height of the platform above the ground is 100 centimetres and the maximum height is the top of a retort stand placed on a laboratory bench. The minimum and maximum masses of a participant are 100 grams and 300 grams respectively. You will need to select a length of bungee rope that is appropriate based on these parameters. You will also be provided with the following equipment to help you: Retort stand, boss head, clamp, masking tape, elastic, metre ruler, tape measure, scales.

2 EXP: Name: Partner: Form: Aim: To investigate the relationship between the mass of a bungee jumper and the distance they drop by building a scale model of a bungee jump. Hypothesis: It is predicted that the greater the mass of the bungee jumper, the (lesser/greater) the distance of the drop. This is expected because Materials (write in dot points) What did you use in this experiment? Method (write in numbered steps) What did you do? (make sure your method is detailed enough for someone to repeat the experiment and write in the third person)

3 Label the diagram below: Variables: Independent Variable (what we re changing): Dependent Variable (what we re measuring): Controlled Variables (what we re keeping the same): Results: Observations: Describe what you saw in the experiment in detail. Make sure you describe the motion of your bungee jumper. You may use dot points.

4 Total distance from the bungee platform to the ground: cm Table 1: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 * Calculated as Average distance of drop = total distance from the bungee platform to the ground - average height from ground

Graph 1: Create a graph of your results on the grid below. Alternatively, delete the grid and insert an electronic graph. Remember to: Select the correct graph eg.

5 Graph 1: Create a graph of your results on the grid below. Alternatively, delete the grid and insert an electronic graph. Remember to: Select the correct graph eg. line graph, scatter graph, column graph Put labels on each axis with units Use an appropriate scale on each axis Do not put any units in the scales used For hand drawn graphs use a ruler & pencil used, and be neat For electronic graphs make sure you include both axis lines & major tick marks Discussion: As the mass of the Bungee Jumper (increased/decreased) the distance of the drop (increased/decreased). For the smallest mass of the distance of the drop was. For the largest mass of the distance of the drop was.

6 Describe any strange results, plus suggest a reason for why they may have occurred. (Make sure you refer to your table and graph). Explain why the bungee jumper falls towards the ground when released. Describe the two most significant forces that affect the motion of the bungee jumper. Explain why the bungee jumper bounces back up with reference to the size of the two forces. Compare the size of the force due to gravity acting on a small bungee jumper compared with a large bungee jumper.

7 Explain how the different sizes of the force due to gravity relates to the trend shown in your results. Evaluation: Evaluate your equipment and method by discussing the accuracy of the data. Suggest ways to improve the method and equipment to increase the reliability, accuracy and range of data collected. Complete the table below. Table 2: Sources of error and suggested improvements Source of Error Describe what happened during the experiment that had the largest negative impact on the accuracy of your results. 1. Effect of error - How does this affect your results? Are your results higher or lower than the accurate results provided? Improvements Describe what you could do differently to reduce this source of error and improve your results

8 Conclusion: State the relationship you observed between your independent variable and your dependent variable. Explain whether your hypothesis was correct and why or why not.

POTENTIAL ENERGY BOUNCE BALL LAB

POTENTIAL ENERGY BOUNCE BALL LAB Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Stored energy is called potential energy, and the energy of motion is called kinetic energy. Potential energy changes as the height of an object changes due to gravity;